Road Work Ahead: Expect Delays
by rsb57
Summary: Road work detours Starsky and Hutch on their way to meet up with a snitch. Expect a lot more than delays!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF THE STARSKY AND HUTCH FRANCHISE. THE FOLLOWING IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY.**

**Author's Note:** Sitting in traffic created by road construction, my imagination took over as I contemplated what kind of trouble Starsky and Hutch could get into because of construction delays. Real Life provided the idea for the story, Starsky and Hutch provided the entertainment!

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**ROAD WORK AHEAD:EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 1**

Huggy was not having a good day. His delivery of beer was already two days late. The company said their drivers were on strike and didn't know when they'd be back to work. So like all the other bar owners in the area, Huggy scrambled to find a company that was working and had enough delivery personnel to handle the over flow of business. He didn't mind that the working guys were looking out for themselves but damn, it sure made his life difficult.

Then as if in support of their brother union, the linen supply company suddenly discovered that their trucks all needed breaks at the same time. Well, Huggy would rather that the trucks be safe but this was getting pretty tough. He supposed he could go without tablecloths, but he liked his tables to look well put together.

Taking a break from his endless phone calls, the bar owner sat at an empty table; his long legs spread out in front of him and his arms crossed over his chest. The cap he wore was pulled low over his forehead, shielding the fact that his eyes were closed. The bar wasn't yet open but when he heard the door behind him open and then bang shut, he knew who it would be. Without changing position, he let out an unwelcome greeting.

"Starsky, if you've come for a favor, I'm all out of granting wishes. Beat it!"

Starsky slouched against the door jam, letting his eyes adjust to the dark interior of the bar. Outside it was a typical Bay City kind of day; hot and sticky, without the promise of rain.

The dark haired man removed his sunglasses and popped them into his shirt pocket. Pushing himself away from the door, he sauntered over to join his friend. He kicked the outstretched legs, causing Huggy to groan and shoot his middle finger in response.

"Man, you sure know how to make a crappy day worse. What the hell do you want?" Huggy's mood suddenly got darker. As much as he loved his detective friends, there were times when it wasn't fellowship they wanted but information which made their relationship seem one sided. Today, Huggy wasn't capable of being his usual upbeat and funky self.

Starsky snagged a chair and parked his butt on the back of it, with his feet on the padded seat.

"Huggy, is that anyway to talk to me? What's up with you?"

Huggy straightened up and pulled his cap off and threw it on the table. His eyes were a dark pool of frustration and his mouth, a challenging line of dislike.

"It's not a good day to want anything from me. I can't get what I need, and, I don't want to even know what your problem is. I'm not in the mood." Huggy got up from the table and stalked off to the bar. He turned his back on his friend. He didn't mean to be so grouchy, but he had no time for manners.

"Jeeze Hug, I just came by…" Starsky was interrupted when Huggy turned back around to face his visitor.

"Just get out of here. The streets are closed up tight and frankly, I don't give a damn about any of it right now. I'm about to lose my shirt 'cause I can't stock my bar with booze. This is my livelihood and if ya aren't here to help, then… you know where the exit is!"

Starsky stood up to join his friend. Huggy sat on a stool, hunched over the bar, resting his head in his hands.

He put his hand out and rested it on the lanky man's shoulder.

The two men stared at each other, until Huggy sagged back against the bar. He smiled at his friend and reciprocated the gesture.

"Can we start this conversation over? What do you need, my friend?" Yes,Starsky admitted to himself, he needed Huggy's help but not at the expense of causing trouble between them. Usually, Huggy was more than happy to nose around and pass on information that would be useful to the two detectives. But sometimes, Huggy just wanted a friend without any strings attached. This time, maybe Starsky could help him.

"Well, ya know there's a union strike of drivers. Nobody in the area has been able to get their deliveries. I'm down to my emergency stock of beer and even that is runnin' low. Now I'm lucky because I serve food as well as beer and liquor. But next weekend is the big game and I need that delivery!" Huggy sat forward, resting his head in his hands.

"Maybe you and the other bar owners can get together and share what you got till the strike is over?" Starsky went back over to the table and sat. Huggy let out a sigh while he joined his friend.

"I suggested that, but nobody wants to share. That's what gets me. I'm workin my ass off to come up with a solution and the other owners are just pig headed."

Starsky shook his head. He glanced at his watch which he realized too late, was a mistake. That action just agitated the bar owner.

"There, ya see. You don't give a damn about my problem; you just want help with yours. Yeah, I know I called you to give ya some news but, well, what have ya got for me in return?"

"That's it!" The dark haired man snapped his fingers at the idea. "My uncle Al lives up near Pine Lake. He knows people who can get your order filled despite the strike."

At this piece of news, Huggy sat up straighter. The tip he had for Starsky was actually in that same area. They could help each other.

"As a matter of fact, my brother, you're in luck! Not only can you and your blond friend help me for a change but you won't have to go out of your way to do it. What I wanted to tell you… Hey, where is that blue eyed boy wonder, anyway?"

Starsky chuckled. At that very moment, Hutch would be at Merle's body emporium. Starsky convinced Hutch, yet again, that he needed to take the rust bucket of a car that only Hutch could love, to Merle's for major engine work. Hutch refused to replace the LTD, so in order to keep it running, he'd agreed to let the junk yard wizard do his magic. The two of them had argued until Starsky pointed out that Hutch simply needed a reliable, dependable car. If he wasn't going to put out the money for a new one, then he needed to invest in major work only Merle could expertly provide.

"Hutch and Merle are having a face to face regarding his car. I'm sure their argument will be louder than any riveter in that garage! I'm pickin' him up after I leave here." Starsky hesitated a moment. He was truly interested in helping Huggy and he was sure that his uncle could come through with beer, a truck and a driver to help out.

"Why don't that partner of yours just spring for a new car? He's sure tight with his wallet!" Huggy's disposition suddenly improved. The thought of Hutch alone with Merle, well that was funny. "Anyway, it just so happens that I wanted to tell you guys about Harry Hawkins. He has some information for you but you know Harry; he wants to meet with only you and Hutch and only on his terms. He called me yesterday but said that I had to wait till today to tell you about it."

Starsky understood the odd directions. Harry was a good snitch but he was rather eccentric. He always wanted to make sure that only the two detectives be present. Therefore, he would set up elaborate meetings with instructions that he insisted be followed. At the end of the meeting, he required two beers to seal the deal.

"Did he say what this is all about?" Starsky knew the answer before he'd even finished the sentence. "I know, the freak didn't tell ya anything." The cop let out a long sigh.

They couldn't risk ignoring the meet. There were several perplexing cases in their hands at the moment and Captain Dobey had already threatened to hand them over to another pair of detectives if Starsky and Hutch couldn't solve them soon.

"Nada, brother. Wouldn't tell me squat. I don't have a guess myself. Do you think it's about the new drugs showin' up on the streets lately? Or is it about that murder on the news the other day?"

"With Harry, who knows. Maybe he can solve our problems but then again, maybe he just wants to report a sighting of Big Foot!" Starsky stood up and dug his car keys out of his pants pocket. The outline remained on the stretched, well worn fabric. He jangled them in his left hand.

"Oh, one more thing." Huggy remembered the rest of Harry's orders. He stood up and joined Starsky at the bar.

"You're gonna love this one. He wants you guys to take Hutch's car and..." Huggy paused to make sure Starsky was really paying attention. …"He wants you to drive Hutch's car!" He giggled at the visible shudder that went through the dark haired man at the news.

"So, we'll just switch drivers right before we get to the bar. That way I only have to steer that battleship for a limited amount of time. How's he gonna know the difference!" Starsky seemed pleased with that idea until Huggy's face changed. The bar owner had that smug look on his face and waited till his friend was done talking before laying out the rest.

"No such luck. He said he'd have spotters along the route, which he's already picked out and he'll make sure the directions get to me tomorrow.'

"He means it too," Starsky breathed out. They'd dealt with Harry enough to know that even if the plans seemed crazy, the man was crazy like a fox. "Hutch'll love this one."

"Where do we meet him this time?" Starsky thought about the last time Harry had news. The tip was fresh and led to an arrest, but the snitch would only meet with them in a massage parlor. He had required that both men have full body massages by two women only he trusted. That way, they'd be naked without any place to hide their guns or be fixed with any sort of listening device. Sure, the guys enjoyed the attention, but it was a bit embarrassing that Harry hung around the doorway while he gave out his information.

"You think your uncle will help get my order filled, without any hassles? I don't know as if I want to piss my suppliers off by goin' with somebody else, but I gotta get my delivery soon. Ya'll be goin' in the same direction, since your uncle lives near Pine Lake. But you gotta take the main highway, through the construction. So I hope Hutch gets that tub fixed soon 'cause Harry wants you up there day after tomorrow at noon."

Just then, the phone rang, cutting off any reply Starsky was about to make. Huggy grabbed the receiver and was instantly involved in the conversation. Obviously it was about the strike, but judging from Huggy's string of swear words, it wasn't good news.

Starsky sat back, thinking about his friend. Huggy was more than a friend. Their association with the bar owner had started out being one of convenience. A few years ago they'd entered the bar, looking for a suspect. They'd chased him down a couple of alleys but they lost him somewhere around the area of The Pits. The detectives knew most of the shop keepers in that part of town but this bar was new, as was the owner. The men walked in, alert as they walked toward the bar. After a few questions and getting the bar tender's name, the police detectives went out the back door. As luck would have it, the man they were chasing had made it to the back of the building but lost his footing and was wedged between some boxes and the dumpster. Their job done and the man handed over to a black and white cruiser, Starsky and Hutch went back into the bar. They spent some time with the man called Huggy. After that, the partners made it a habit of frequenting the bar in order to get to know Huggy better and the people who hung out there. It turned out that not only did they pick up a few good tips while there, but after their shift, they'd spend time playing pool and drinking a few beers and generally just relaxing after a stressful day.

Starsky often felt guilty when it came to asking Huggy for help. He didn't ever want the man to think they were just using his knowledge of the streets. Since early on, the three of them formed a bond and the closeness was a real one. The three trusted each other even though often Huggy got in trouble because of the relationship. It was known on the street that the fastest way to get to Starsky and Hutch was through Huggy. Sometimes that meant Huggy got beat up.

But Huggy accepted the situation particularly when he could really help his friends. He would do anything for either one of them. What really made the relationship work was whatever one told the other, it was in confidence. He'd gone out on a limb many times when either Starsky or Hutch was in trouble. He offered what ever he could to help them cope. In return Huggy understood that at times his life may be on the line because of them, but the detectives would never sell him out.

Now, Starsky realized he had an opportunity to give back some to his lanky friend. If they could help the bar owner, that might make the trip worth while even if Harry's news wasn't useful.


	2. Chapter 2

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 2**

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It was early morning but the sun was already hot. There was a slight breeze which didn't offer any hope of cooling the day. The haze settled over the city, creating shimmers on the road ahead. Combined with the obstruction in front of him, the mood was not as bright as the sun for the driver of the brown LTD.

The line of traffic inched along, making slow progress, one tire length at a time. A construction worker dressed in his orange fluorescent vest listlessly waved the red flag, in a fruitless attempt to encourage the cars to continue down the road. This only served to irritate Starsky further. He pushed his sunglasses further up his nose and hunkered over the steering wheel, glaring at the construction worker. He desperately wanted to raise his middle finger and in fact, he raised his hand and with a scowl on his face, was ready to do just that. He let out an irritated grunt as Hutch pushed his arm down, waving the Hutchinson index finger at Starsky instead.

"Starsk, don't do it! It's not that guy's fault that we haven't moved in 20 minutes. Blame the bureaucrats who authorized this never ending, year round nightmare!" Hutch dragged his hand through his hair. He gripped his friends' shoulder tighter in an attempt to avert Starsky's attention.

"Just once, can't they leave the roads alone? Why do they have to do so many projects at one time? Ya can't get anywhere without these damn construction cones!" Starsky rubbed his face just as the car in front of them moved forward.

He let out a distracted sigh, wishing in silence that this time, they'd actually make it to their exit without stopping again.

"That's what I've been trying to point out to you. We need a break. Just think of the woods as a construction free, clear pass to peace! Doesn't this make you crave quiet and serenity?" Hutch waved his hand to include the view outside the front windshield. Once again, the cars stopped, this time beside a port-a- john.

Starsky watched as the door to the construction facility outhouse opened. Through it lumbered a big guy with a beer belly. He finished zipping his pants and casually walked back up the road to join his crew. The men crowded around, clutching their Styrofoam cups as they stood, doing nothing more than kicking the dirt at their feet.

Shaking his head in amazement, Starsky let out a snort of disbelief. He drummed his fingers on the dash.

"All I wanna do at this moment is get through this damn traffic. Whose idea was it anyway to spend Saturday morning meeting up with a snitch for information? At this rate, Harry Hawkins ain't even gonna be there, plus we don't even know what he wants to tell us. I say, let's just turn around and forget this whole wild goose chase!" Just then, the line of cars moved again.

"It's pretty damn weird that Harry wants us to come in your car and worse yet, I gotta be the one drivin'. " Starsky smacked the steering wheel in frustration as the cars ahead stopped again. He felt, rather than saw, the exasperated look on Hutch's face. Starsky winced but turned his attention back to the view out the front of the car.

Starsky took advantage of the break and stepped on the gas. This was part of Harry's odd instructions. Hutch shook his head before he spoke.

"It was Dobey's orders to meet up with Harry. You know that. Besides, if Harry says he's got information, he'll wait all day just so he gets the 20 bucks and 2 beers we always offer him."

In the time it took Hutch to explain all this to Starsky, the cars stopped again and the LTD rocked to a sudden halt. In order to stop his forward movement, Hutch braced his arm against the dash. It was such an abrupt stop, it caused his sunglasses to slide off his face and land on the floor at his feet.

Groaning as he bent to pick up the glasses, Hutch retrieved them and stuck them in his shirt pocket. Rather than risk another shaky stop, he decided against wearing them. Instead, he rubbed the crevice between his eyes. He already had a headache and would also have liked to turn around. But considering the tongue lashing they'd endure from Captain Dobey for not meeting up with Harry, he'd rather put up with inept road work and Starsky's whining. At least it was more entertaining than listening to Dobey's bad temper.

"I'm not too thrilled myself that you're driving my car, buddy. I just had your friend Merle fix it up and now you're abusing it." Hutch shook his head as Starsky slammed on the brakes again. He tried to think of something to distract his partner's mistreatment of the car.

"You think Harry really has spies along the road? Maybe he's the one!" Hutch snickered as he pointed to the big guy who'd come from the out house.

Starsky drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, absorbing the reality of their situation. As much as he wanted to follow some other path, he knew Harry was serious and odd enough to deliberately send them on this route and have someone, anyone, along the way passing information about the detectives. It could very well be the big guy over there drinking coffee. Or it could be that blue sports car he could see in the rear view mirror. With Harry, you just never knew what to expect. They'd learned that Harry's information was reliable but they had to do things his way, or they'd never get another chance when they needed his help.

"I just hope my Uncle Al can help Huggy. When I called and told him about Huggy, Al thought he knew a way around the driver's strike. He has a couple of friends who have a couple of friends…" Starsky looked over at Hutch, and winked to emphasize Al's ability to help. His uncle always seemed to know the right people for any situation. Sometimes it was best if Starsky didn't know the details. Through the years Al had established a lot of contacts with a lot of different people who always seemed willing to help the energetic and friendly older man.

Hutch snorted with amusement at Starsky's unspoken meaning. He had met the older gentleman and liked both Al and his wife Rose. In Hutch's opinion, he saw a lot of Uncle Al in Starsky. Both men had the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone about anything and usually ended up with a new friend who was always willing to share his special talent or help out if called upon to do so. But it wasn't just a one way friendship. It wasn't unusual for either man to return a favor willingly. Hutch marveled at the wide range of personalities and careers of the people the two family members seemed to attract.

"I really want to stop by and visit with Al and Rose for a bit after we're done with Harry. I only hope we're too late for dinner!" Starsky made a face as he thought of his aunt's cooking. He rubbed his stomach at the memory of Aunt Rose's chicken soup and the food poisoning he'd suffered from a few years ago. He never told her how sick he'd gotten. But since then, he always tried to avoid her cooking which wasn't easy in his Aunt's home. She always had something on the stove and insisted that her nephew was too skinny and needed to eat more.

Thinking about his relatives and his friend, gave the detective something pleasant to distract him from the annoying delay caused by the road work.

Starsky decided to just sit back, enjoy Hutch's company and maybe get in a good bull session as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 3**

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Fifteen minutes later made no difference in the position of the traffic. The same green Chevy sputtered in front of Hutch's LTD. The same flagman stood by the side of the road with flag in hand. But one difference was, he'd been joined by two other orange vested workers. The three of them shared a joke and smoked their cigarettes.

Starsky turned off the ignition, as had many of the cars around them.

The inside of the car was stuffy. All the windows were down but no hint of a breeze to cool down the occupants. It grew quiet as Starsky continued to glare at the men standing on the side of the road. Hutch took advantage of the quiet and the stillness. He had his head back against the seat and his eyes closed. He hoped that by doing so, it would prevent Starsky from launching into another verbal attack of the road crew or worse yet, try engaging him in a game of trivia.

He raised his hand to absently scratch at his neck.

Hutch felt another sting to his arm and scratched again.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? Hutch? The blond's peace shattered as he felt a punch to his upper arm.

He lifted his head and turned toward Starsky, slowly opening both eyes. The itchy feeling had moved to his ankle as he bent down to scratch. Fully awake, he concentrated on his ankle, trying to relieve whatever had caused the distraction.

"What the hell?" Starsky stared in alarm as red welts suddenly appeared on Hutch's neck and hand.

Hutch slapped at his knee. "I think I'm being attacked by ants!" All of the sudden more tiny black moving dots appeared. They showed up on Hutch's shirt, and then Starsky found one on his own leg. The dark haired man scratched his head while at the same time, opening the car door.

He jumped out, stomping his feet and brushing his hands down his arms and legs in an attempt to shake off the offending insects.

"It figures this damn car would be a breading ground for roaches," Starsky mumbled, as he reached toward the driver's seat to brush at unseen critters.

Swatting at the gathering of ants, Hutch grumbled back at Starsky.

"My car is not infested with roaches, mushbrain, they're ants! Now, forget the car seat, help me!" Hutch fumbled for the door handle, which broke off in his hand.

"Starsky!" ,he yelled. The driver ducked his head to see Hutch fuming. Starsky couldn't tell if his face was red because he was mad or if it was due to the fast developing hives appearing all over the blonds' face and neck.

Quickly, he ran around to the passenger door to open it. Hutch jumped out and started the same stomping dance Starsky had performed. He stripped off his shirt which revealed more welts along his chest.

"Don't blame me like I know ya want to buddy. Remember, this is your car", Starsky complained, as he searched the back seat for the thermos of water and a rag.

While Hutch continued slapping at the insects, Starsky rummaged around the back seat of the LTD. He came up with the thermos of water and handed it to his friend. Hutch gratefully opened the lid and poured some on his chest. The cool water helped soothe the sting, evidenced by Hutch's sigh of relief.

Hutch lost track of Starsky and really wasn't paying attention to the continuous ramblings he heard coming from the back seat. It wasn't until his friend grew quiet that Hutch turned back toward the interior of the car.

"Starsky? Hey,…" Hutch could see a jean clad leg sticking out of the back seat. He winced as he noticed the different things taking up space in the back of his car. He saw a book, How To Grow A Happy Fern and grabbed for it. He'd bought the book a month ago while on dinner break but forgot about it when they'd been involved in a car chase.

"Huuttccchh!", Starsky bellowed as he backed out of the car. His hair held a few gum wrappers and a once white sock peeked out of his shirt pocket. In his hand, was a sandwich sized plastic bag; the contents at first unknown.

Hutch stood back, scratching at his collar bone with one hand as he reached with the other to grab the bag. He looked sheepishly at his friend. At that moment, he longed for the cleaner confines of the Torino. He knew he was in for a large dose of the – 'I told you so's'- from his partner.

"Uhh, thanks for finding all this for me. I'd been wondering where that stuff was." Hutch tried to smile but cringed inwardly at the dark look of frustration that met his clear blue eyes.

"Just what the hell is that?" Starsky pointed at the bag Hutch held at arms length between them.

"Well, you see, this book recommended feeding ground up bone meal to plants, particularly ferns, once a month to make them green and hearty. I.. bought the book and I collected the chicken bones.", Hutch pointed again to the dingy, gray bag, "but guess I forgot about them both huh?"

Obviously the bones had become food for something other than the intended plants. Little black dots slid around the inside of the bag. The chicken bones were no longer white, but black with the ants which now called the contents home and dinner.

During this whole scene the traffic hadn't moved but the men had attracted the attention of more than just ants. People in the cars directly in front of and behind their car had gathered outside of their vehicles, watching the men dance around. But everyone quickly forgot about the entertainment when the cars began to move forward.

Hutch didn't move fast enough so Starsky hopped behind the wheel and moved the car to the side of the road. They needed to get rid of the offending chicken bones and somehow get Hutch taken care of before they took off. Hutch pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

This was turning out to be one hell of a day.


	4. Chapter 4

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**Chapter 4**

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The two men stood beside the LTD and watched as the traffic began to finally move. A few passengers glanced their way, not surprised to see such an old car disabled after a long delay caused by the construction. But not curious enough to stop, they continued on their way, relieved that they hadn't suffered the same fate as the beat up clunker on the side of the road.

Hutch scratched occasionally, but not as aggressively as before. The welts were still raised and red. He realized he needed something to relieve the itch and possible infection as soon as possible.

"You know, with all these construction workers, there has to be a first aid trailer close by. Why don't I walk up the road a little and see if there is one. Maybe they'd have some antibiotic ointment I could use." Hutch pushed his sunglasses up his nose. He squinted not because of the glare but his eyes were watering and itchy.

He reached into the back seat, moved a few things around until he found what he was looking for.

As he shrugged into the blue jogging shirt, Starsky watched his friend.

"Don't ya think the ants are still hanging around? How do you know there aren't any on that shirt?" He brushed at Hutch's shoulders, wincing with the thought of more pesky critters attacking his friend.

"It's okay. This shirt was on top of everything else." He put his arms through and zipped up the front. "See? All is well. I just need something to put on these itchy spots." Hutch reached in through the open window, snagged his gun and holster and slid them into the glove compartment. He straightened up, waved and walked away from Starsky. A muted whistling came back to his friend as Hutch amused himself with a favorite tune.

Starsky watched until the blond came to a group of men standing on the side of the road. Obviously they were part of the work crew so Hutch stopped to talk to them.

"Hiya! You guys have an emergency trailer close by?" As Hutch spoke, he pulled his police badge out of his back pocket. He figured that would get him easier access than if he were an ordinary citizen. Not in the habit of using his work status to get special favors, Hutch felt awkward pulling the wallet out. He explained his situation, needlessly pointing out the large, red hives.

"God, man.. how'd that happen?" The guy backed away slightly. "Yeah, Billie's up the road and will be able to help." The speaker was the burly man Hutch had seen earlier coming out of the port-o- john. Hutch nodded his thanks as he walked past the group. He realized that there was a break in the traffic. No cars were stopped along the road and ahead, the traffic was moving freely.

'M_ust've finally opened the road completely_.' Hutch thought to himself. He turned back toward the direction he had come but could no longer see his car. He kept walking until he saw the dirty white trailer ahead of him. He took a moment to scratch again at his neck and face, knowing without seeing that his skin was blotchy and red.

The trailer sat in a grassy median that ran along the road. Various pieces of equipment littered the area around the trailer.

The blond climbed the rusted metal steps and stopped as he reached the landing. He knocked and once he heard a muted voice answer, he entered.

The surroundings looked nothing like a first aid station, given the cluttered, dusty and generally run down appearance of the interior of the trailer. At first, his attention focused on the dingy atmosphere. The carpet under his feet was stained by mud, concrete dust, coffee and other stains Hutch couldn't identify. One window was half covered by a blind that hung from a hook on one end, exposing an equally dusty, cruddy window. The other window was bare and let in filtered light through the smeared glass. He supposed the length of wood that hung between two saw horses passed for a desk. It was strewn with maps, sketches and a few books.

Stepping further into the room, he had as yet to meet the owner of the voice that he'd heard in answer to his knock. As his eyes got accustomed to the room, he noticed a big wing back chair in the corner. To his left, a step which led to a kitchen or Hutch guessed, the clinic. He grimaced at the thought of anything being sterile enough in such surroundings. He was just about to go back outside, when he finally saw who had spoken earlier.

He turned to his right and for the first time, noticed a narrow hallway that ran the length of the structure. A woman rummaged through a bookcase on one wall which overflowed with books and papers. She turned to greet Hutch who enjoyed his first glimpse. Even though she was dressed in faded green work pants, a short sleeve yellow shirt and heavy boots, she certainly filled out the normally masculine attire nicely.

The woman moved to the other wall as she continued looking through stacks of papers on another table. Muttering to herself, she picked up a bound notebook and carried it to the desk. Finally, she stopped to appraise her visitor.

"If you're the state inspector, you're early. Come back tomorrow. If you're the attorney for the weasel who called himself my husband, you can tell him to go to hell. If you're here about a job"-- , she turned away long enough to pull out an application from the clutter on her desk. As messy as it was, she knew exactly where the paper was and had no trouble finding it among the mess in front of her. She handed it to Hutch as she finished her instructions.

"If you're here about a job, fill this out and you can start tonight."

Hutch waved his hand in front of him, indicating she had no idea why he was there. She let the paper fall to the floor and for the first time, took a good look at the blond in front of her.

"My Lord, what happened to you? Did a swarm of bees attack you?" She moved to the kitchen area as she talked so Hutch followed her the short distance.

"My name is Hutch and the guys outside said Billie could help me. My friend and I were stuck in the traffic jam when I got bit by ants that had taken up residence in my car."

"I'm Billie." When Hutch looked surprised, she explained further as she motioned for Hutch to sit at the table. "It's really Willamena but… I just hate that name so now everyone just calls me Billie." She scanned the room as she gathered up supplies. She stared at Hutch again. "I don't usually treat ordinary people but you look pretty uncomfortable."

Despite the red blotches and itchy appearance, she liked what she saw. Unfortunately, she always found herself attracted to blond, blue eyed men. That's what got her into trouble with her husband. He turned out to be a lazy son of a bitch who'd rather let her work while he sat around spending money they didn't have. So as she tried to concentrate on the task at hand, she couldn't pull herself completely away from those clear blue eyes.

Not sure what to expect, Hutch sat at the table watching appreciatively as Billie moved around the room. Her dark hair was tucked behind one ear, and he noticed her dark green eyes narrow as she thought about what she needed. He watched as she pulled a small silver key out of her shirt pocket and went to unlock a metal cabinet above the counter. In fact, there was a whole row of them, each locked. She took out several items and locked it all back up, but not before Hutch noticed pills, boxes of syringes and a few clear packets of a white substance. But he quickly forgot about all that once he saw a needle in her hand. Then he realized she was serious about treating him.

Swallowing thickly, he tried to calm the irrational fear of needles he had in order to receive help. Between his terrifying experience at the hands of Ben Forrest and his goons who strung him out on heroin in order to find Ben's girlfriend and the crazy nurse Diana he met in the emergency room, who'd stalked him, he always had a hard time with any needle, no matter the purpose. But determined not to appear wimpy in front of this fascinating woman, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You having trouble breathing Hutch? Maybe you need to go to the emergency room?" She went to pick up the phone when Hutch stopped her with a slight laugh.

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm just blown away by your beauty?" Hutch winked at her but at the doubtful look that crossed her face, he continued.

"The only trouble I'm having is trying to admit my fear of needles. You sure I need that? What is it?" He scratched at his face only to have his hand swatted.

"Quit messing with that, you'll get them infected then you'll need more than a skinny little needle to deal with it all." She smiled at him though and held open his shirt to get a closer look at the welts that still dotted his chest. Not only did she get a good view of the skin reaction, but she definitely appreciated the ripple of muscles under her hand.

"Don't ya just have some cream or some sort of ointment you can give me?" Hutch leaned back in the chair, never taking his eyes off the needle that now rested on a piece of gauze bandage.

"Well, sure, but it won't work as quickly. Take your shirt off so I can treat those areas too." Getting up, she went to an unlocked cupboard over the counter, moved a few things around and came back to the table with a silver tube of ointment. In the process of taking his shirt off, they were interrupted by a voice from outside and he soon had a pretty strong idea about a side business the pretty girl in front of him was engaged in.

"Hey Billie, we just got a new contact and they want to talk about a deal!"

A loud voice from outside got closer and as the door to the trailer opened from the outside, the one sided conversation continued which Hutch was obviously not meant to hear.

"C'mon sister, Give me the word and I'll…." As the door banged closed, the crew member stopped just inside when he realized Billie wasn't alone.

"Thanks Jack, tell them I'll catch up with them later. Now get the hell out of here!" The tone of Billie's voice left no room for argument. Jack glared at Hutch. He was about to say something else but at the dark, angry look he received from Billie, he thought better of speaking and instead, turned around and left.

Billie slammed her hand on the table as she swore under her breath. She couldn't afford to lose control of this situation and needed to distract her visitor. She wasn't sure what he may have already seen or if he'd understand the conversation she'd just had with Jack, but… she knew what she had to do.

"Sorry. I usually lock that door if somebody's here. Business never ends!" She smiled at Hutch. She realized she needed to distract this handsome man from what he'd just witnessed. She couldn't take any chances that Hutch would just forget what just happened.

It was a good thing she already felt attracted to Hutch because it would just make the rest of the exchange more enjoyable.

Hutch was fascinated by what he'd just witnessed but realized he needed to act clueless if he wanted to know more and be trusted. He hadn't told Billie that he was a cop and the man who'd just left was not one of the guys he'd talked to earlier. So if he could just finish up here and leave quickly, he would be safe until he could get back to Starsky.

But that idea faded quickly as he got a glimpse of the hollow at the base of her neck that was exposed by the open shirt she wore. Something there caught his attention and he couldn't help thinking about what it would be like to kiss that exact spot. He realized they were about to play a game and that she definitely had something to hide. It might be fun hunting for that small key that she'd slipped back into her shirt pocket.

Billie reached across the table and laid her hand over Hutch's. She smiled as she began to stroke across his hand and up his arm. Understanding that he was not meant to have seen what just happened and that Billie now planned on distracting him, Hutch decided to play along. With his other hand, he reached over to stroke Billie's jaw line. Their eyes met and held. The sparks were real and the attraction mutual.

As he leaned across the table to kiss her, Hutch marveled at her smooth skin and the light scent of her perfume.

'_Ah-- the sacrifices I make for this job'_, Hutch thought as his mustache brushed over her full, sensual lips.

*******************************************

While Billie slept, Hutch slowly sat up to get a better look at his surroundings. He smiled appreciatively as he looked at his sleeping partner. She had beautiful skin and the back that was turned toward him didn't have any tan lines. As a matter of fact--- as if to refresh his memory, he lifted the sheet to gaze again at her slim hips and round buttocks. No tan lines anywhere. He brushed a kiss along her shoulder. She never moved so he got up, picked up his scattered clothes as he slipped into the bathroom. Two hours had gone by since he entered the trailer and now he knew that Starsky must be worried. But once he returned with the evidence, the trip and subsequent difficulties would be forgotten. Quickly, he went back to the kitchen and used the silver key to open the cabinet. There were several bottles along with small bags of a white substance, certainly not your standard first aid supplies. He was confident that by the time she figured out that anything was missing, he and Starsky would be long gone. Stuffing a bag into his shirt pocket, he walked out the door and guided the door to minimize the noise as it closed.

He never noticed the face at the window watching as he walked down the road. Inside, Billie was angry at herself for getting so lost in her game. Hutch was definitely a handsome and talented lover. But she suspected that he was a lot more than he appeared. He was a threat and he needed to be dealt with.


	5. Chapter 5

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 5**

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Starsky watched as Hutch stopped to talk to a group of men, started walking again and was soon out of sight. In order to pass the time, Starsky decided to clean out Hutch's car. The stuff piled in the back seat couldn't be very important. He leaned into the back seat, taking stock of the contents. He found a whole outfit of clothes: another shirt besides the one Hutch had already put on, a pair of grey sweat pants, the mate to the sock Starsky had found earlier and a pair of running shoes. The dark haired man sighed heavily as he backed out and went around, opening the trunk. There he found 2 garbage bags which he pulled out as he shut the lid.

Putting the clothes in one bag, he began sifting through the remaining items in the back of the LTD. He found several weeks of old newspapers and a few magazines, mostly the kind with nude girls in them. He thumbed through one of them, ogling at the beautiful bodies. Quickly though he tossed the newspapers and magazines into the other garbage bag. Grocery bags, empty soft drink cans and one or two empty containers of yogurt also went into the garbage bag. Something else caught his eye as he was about to close it up. He reached down to the floorboard to retrieve something that was half under the passenger seat. He pulled out another piece of clothing, only this time, he knew it didn't belong to Hutch, nor was it anything of his. He picked it up between his thumb and index finger, holding it out in front of him. It wasn't boxers or briefs but a silky, lacy pair of panties. Starsky wondered which one of Hutch's dates had left that behind?!

Finally satisfied that the back of the car was now free of garbage and insects, Starsky dumped the bag of clothes on the back seat and tied up the bag to throw away. He stopped to watch the traffic moving evenly past him. He stood still, anticipating seeing Hutch any minute. When his friend didn't appear, he grew concerned and decided that he better go in search of his blond friend.

_"What sort of trouble did he get into now_?" Starsky felt himself begin to panic. It wasn't like Hutch to linger over much of anything, particularly medical treatment; unless of course the medical person happened to be a beautiful woman, then maybe…

But Starsky grew more worried as he studied his watch. It had now been over an hour since Hutch walked up the road. Mentally kicking himself for not going with him, Starsky finally threw the bag of trash into the back seat of the tan LTD, deciding that at least the garbage was now a lot neater than before, even if the bag never got properly disposed of.

Before he could go around to the driver's side of the car, he heard a female voice, obviously trying to get his attention. He turned to see what was going on and before he knew it, the girl had closed the distance between them and grabbed Starsky in a death grip of a hug. Hysterical hiccups accompanied by cries for help was his first impression of the damsel in distress. He pushed her away from him long enough to get a look at the female.

She sniffed a few times and rubbed her eyes and offered an embarrassed smile in apology. Before Starsky could ask any questions, she reached for him again but this time she started to shake until he feared that she was in shock so he wrapped his arms around her to provide some warmth. Her skin felt warm, not cold considering she wore a very short pair of shorts and a midriff-bearing top. He managed to notice that she had silky brunet hair that flowed down her back. He gently pulled her back from him again and noticed that despite the red rimmed eyes, their color was a deep green.

He decided he needed a bit of information like, where she'd come from and what the hell was wrong?

"Miss? Hey, it's okay now. Tell me what happened? Were you in an accident? What's your name?"

Digging through her purse she came up with a hanky and loudly blew her nose and then pushed her hair into a neater style and eventually straightened up.

In one long, deep breath she informed Starsky:

"Sorry to be such a baby, but my car broke down while in that stupid line of traffic, I didn't know what to do, no one did anything but blow their horns at me, I started walking hoping to find somebody but not even those lazy road workers were around, I suppose they were all huddled in a camper some where feeding their faces and playing cards…." – taking another breath, she finished up with---- " and my name is Beth and I sure hope you can help me!"

During this long winded statement, Starsky stared at Beth in amazement that anyone could say so much in one breath and still be understood. He scratched his head in annoyance. He really needed to go after Hutch but this woman had a problem too. Well, at the very least, she could come with him while he picked up his partner and then they could drive her to the nearest phone to call a tow truck.

"Beth, honey, calm down. You probably just ran out of gas. I need to go pick up my friend so why don't you come with me?" Beth's face lit up with a most appreciative smile that reached into her lovely green eyes. The dark haired man found his own eyes traveling down to her well endowed, tight fitting tee shirt which left nothing to the imagination as to what was underneath. His blue eyes traveled further down to enjoy her slender hips and long legs. His attention was broken when he felt a slap to his right cheek. Beth stood, fuming in front of him.

"You're just like the rest of them… all you see is this!" She swept her hand over her body and stamped her foot in a childish tantrum.

"If you're not gonna do anything but stand there and.. and.. undress me with your dirty mind, then go to hell!"

She turned her back to Starsky and crossed her arms. She didn't move but seemed to be waiting for an apology.

Answering Beth under his breath, Starsky muttered, "I think I'm already in hell!" He pulled his hand through his hair in frustration.

Gathering his nerves, he decided he needed to get a better grip on this situation if he was ever gonna get to Hutch.

'Beth I'm sorry. Look, let's just get in the car so I can pick up my buddy and we'll get you to a phone. I'll keep my eyes on the road and my mind on my friend. Okay?" Starsky touched the back of her shoulder to get her to face him. She did so with such an innocent smile on her face, he wondered if this girl was the same one who just a minute ago had verbally attacked him?

She moved to the passenger side of the car, opened the door and sat sideways on the seat, with her feet on the ground.

"You've been so nice, I'm really sorry to yell at you. But you see there's another problem and well, it would be better for both of us if we'd get out of here as quickly as possible." She stopped to look in the direction she'd come from and groaned as she hung her head.

Starsky didn't seem to hear the sound but responded to her dejected appearance. He huddled in front of her, lifted her head with his hand and wiped away a fresh line of tears.

"Why don't we just start over? Whatever it is, we'll figure it out." He pulled her up with him and stood with his arms around her, offering her comfort. She lifted her head and was about to thank him when she stared over his shoulder and really let out a deep moan.

Thinking she was still frustrated and angry, he held her tighter and stroked her back, wanting only to offer support.

By the time he heard heavy footsteps behind him, it was too late to defend himself. He felt a strong grip on the back of his neck and tried to shrug off the unknown attacker. He kicked backwards but did nothing more than scuff the dirt with the heel of his shoe.

"Jimmy, don't! He was only trying to help!" Beth pleaded but it wasn't enough to stop the jealous rage of her boyfriend.

Now held in a meaty grip, Starsky couldn't move so he let his body sag, hoping to have a second to think about what to do.

"Uhhh, Jimmy? Hey, I didn't mean nothing. Your girl just showed up looking scared and needed help." He tried to reason with this unseen person but by the pressure on his neck and shoulders, obviously, Jimmy was a big guy.

"Just shut up while I think." Jimmy finally spoke but twisted Starsky around so the two of them faced each other.

Jimmy was big. He was muscle bound and weighed at least 50 lbs more than Starsky. He held Starsky by one arm while the other arm held him across his neck.

"Jimmy, please, I only wanted to sort out my thoughts. You didn't have to come after me. I was just goin' to mama's until you cooled off." Beth rested her hand on Starsky's back, trying to offer some confidence to the man who had tried to help her.

Starsky choked and tried to gain his footing but every time he moved, Jimmy's arm got tighter around his neck. At the moment, there was nothing he could do; his strength was slowly ebbing away as the pressure around his neck grew stronger.

"Just tell me, is this the guy you've been sleeping with behind my back? Were the two of you running off together? Because I'll kill ya both if you were cheating on me. You know I love you." Jimmy seemed more upset now than angry. Starsky tried to plead silently for release. Beth stepped closer to Jimmy, rubbing the arm that held fast around Starsky.

"Pumpkin, I'd never cheat on you! Hey would I run out on the father of our baby?" At this piece of news, Jimmy let go of Starsky who slumped to the ground, breathing hard as his head spun and his vision blurred.

"That's why I was going' to mama's… I didn't know how to tell you. I thought you'd be mad about the baby!"

"Baby? I'm gonna be a father?" Jimmy staggered back in shock. But he remembered about Starsky who was still huddled on the ground. For some reason, Jimmy got angry again and kicked at Starsky.

"That's for takin' advantage of a pregnant woman!" Again Jimmy kicked at Starsky, this time in the back. The dark haired man rolled away from the pain, crawling toward the guard rail. By this time he was breathless and weak.

Jimmy quickly moved toward Starsky and lifted him off the ground. He picked him up by the back of his shirt and set him back on his feet. Starsky weaved, trying to gain his balance. He still wasn't quite sure what was going on, just that he had to defend himself. So he swung with his fist, intending to connect with Jimmy's face. The punch hit nothing but the air between them.

"She just told you I didn't do anything." Starsky sucked in his breath at the pain in his side. The effort to speak accompanied by pain, felt like he had a broken rib.

"Let's get out of here, pumpkin! C'mon we got a lot to plan for now." Beth tried to divert Jimmy's attention. She felt sorry for Starsky and knew that once Jimmy got in a jealous rage, he was hard to deal with. She'd hoped that by telling him about the baby, he'd forget about this man and just leave with her. But she didn't think he'd believed her when she said she wasn't cheating. It would be hard for her to figure out who was the baby's father, it might be Jimmy, she just couldn't be sure.

Jimmy gave that statement some thought but wasn't quite ready to believe that Starsky had nothing to do with any of this. So he reached down again and landed a punch square to Starsky's jaw and another quick one to the side of his head. Jimmy released him and let him slip to the ground. But he shoved him with his boot and landed another hard stomp to Starsky's back. Jimmy just loved to fight.

He was helpless as he watched Jimmy and Beth get in Hutch's LTD. Too late he realized he'd left the keys on the front seat after putting all the bags in the back. He tried to get up but the pain in his back and side prevented him from doing anything but trying to suppress a cry of pain and frustration.

The last thing Starsky remembered thinking before his world collapsed was,

"Hutch is gonna kill me". Then all went black as he sagged against the ground and felt the uneven sharp points of dirt and stone dig into his back and face as he rolled to the pavement.


	6. Chapter 6

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 6**

Hutch realized he needed to hurry. He had no doubt that Billie would figure out pretty quick what had happened. She probably wouldn't guess that he was a cop, only that he was a nosey person whom she needed to get rid of before her side activities were exposed. Hutch was pretty sure about the drugs and wondered if this was what their snitch, Harry Hawkins, had originally intended to reveal to them.

He jogged ahead but quickened his pace once he saw a lone figure sprawled out on the ground. He no longer remembered exactly where the car had been but as he got closer, realized it was Starsky laying on the side of the road.

He skidded on the loose gravel as he came closer to his friend. His hands hovered over the man on the ground. Hutch was shocked at how beat up Starsky was and at first was afraid to touch him. He glanced down the road, wondering briefly why Starsky had walked away from the car, but he had no time to worry about that as Starsky began to wake up.

"C'mon buddy. Starsky? Easy now." Hutch offered encouragement as Starsky's body jerked with the effort to move past his grey surroundings.

Various groans preceded Starsky's full alert status. Hutch crouched beside him, watching for any signs of trouble. He was confused about the situation and had a million questions which would have to wait until his friend was fully conscious.

He shifted away from Hutch, still not realizing who it was but rather, his brain only registered his last conscious sensation of the senseless beating.

Starsky continued to fight against the hands that held him, not yet able to understand his surroundings.

"Starsk… it's me, it's Hutch. You're okay but you've got to wake up now and tell me what happened!" Hutch grew concerned the more he saw of the damage to Starsky's face and bloodied shirt.

"Hutch?" The relief that reached him suddenly relaxed his shaky body. The touch and the voice were familiar and welcome. Hutch held his friend as the man tried to respond to the light touches and soothing words. Slowly, Starsky's eyes opened as he attempted to focus on who the voice belonged to.

Starsky struggled to sit up, guided by Hutch's hand on his back. He winced at the change of position. Saliva built up in his mouth, the consistency making him gag. He turned to the side and spit out phlegm and blood.

Hutch tried to be patient but the longer they sat here, the greater the chance that Billie or her cronies, would find them and then they'd be in one hell of a mess. He helped Starsky sit up and watched as the dark haired man got used to the change of position. He saw him struggle with dizziness. His complexion went from pale to pink and his eyes began to focus.

"Sorry buddy, but you've got to get it together now. We've got to get back to the car." The urgency in Hutch's voice caught Starsky's attention and helped him shake off the rest of his confusion.

"Oh shit!" Starsky rubbed his head as he remembered: Beth and Jimmy took off in Hutch's car.

"Easy there. C'mon can you walk? Why'd you leave the car? I know your head must be spinning but we can't stay here. We gotta go—now!" He helped his friend stand and as Starsky gained his balance, Hutch searched in the distance, expecting unwelcome company any minute.

Starsky was dazed but he struggled to clear his head. His thoughts were still scattered and he couldn't put more than one word together at a time. He concentrated, but words were slow to make sense to him.

"Car." Starsky mumbled. He blinked a few times and held his stomach. His legs still felt weak and he was trying to remember what he needed to say.

Hutch grew more concerned. Starsky was bruised and battered and now he kept repeating about a car, he wondered if Starsky meant…

"You mean you got hit by a car? Is that what you mean?" Hutch held Starsky's face, their eyes level. He watched as the cobalt blue eyes in front of him narrowed as their owner wrestled with words.

"No… they--." Starsky swallowed but turned away from Hutch in order to clear his mouth again. His breath quickened as he recalled the problem.

He rested his hand on Hutch's chest, with the other hand he grabbed onto his friend's shoulder.

Suddenly, it all became clear. Starsky remembered what had started this and in typical fashion, thought of Hutch's discomfort rather than his own.

"Hey, you okay?", Starsky asked in a shaky voice. He searched the face in front of him as he tried to orient himself to time and conditions.

"I think you've got that backwards, buddy. You're the one that looks like he got hit by a car. You sure that's not what happened?" Hutch passed his hands over Starsky's face and head, looking for abrasions and cuts.

"It was more like I got hit by a sledgehammer." He groaned again but pulled away from Hutch's inspection.

Hutch continued to scan the horizon for any sign that Billie had discovered that the key to her cabinets was missing and that her new lover had made off with some of her drugs. He was concerned about Starsky but he was also responsible for the trouble that would surely follow his detour with the pretty lady.

The buzzing in Starsky's head began to fade and he was able to swallow down the queasy feeling in his stomach. He watched Hutch, confused as to why the blond looked so nervous.

"Ya don't need to feel so guilty Hutch. I didn't get hit by a car. When I tried to help a woman out of a jam, I got attacked by her jealous boyfriend." He shook his head, trying to get the courage to explain to Hutch how his car got stolen.

"It figures! You just can't keep your hands off the ladies can you? Even in an area surrounded by construction workers, you still find a woman to pass the time with." Hutch pushed his hands through his hair and took a few steps from his friend. His concern for his safety lessened while the guilt attached to his own trouble intensified.

"It was all a misunderstanding." Starsky was going to explain further but he suddenly got a good look at Hutch. He sensed there was a reason for the blonds' distracted mood.

"Wait a minute. I've seen that look before. You kinda… glow. Holy shit! No wonder you were gone so long! I'm not the only one guilty of a roving eye. I think more than your eyes wandered over some woman." Starsky's glanced roamed over Hutch, noticing for the first time several odd signs.

His blue eyes had a glassy look to them. Starsky had seen that before after Hutch had spent the night with Gillian. It's like there's a reflection of passion that still burned from the contact.

He inspected his friend closer. The red blotches from before had diminished in size and color. Hutch didn't seem to be bothered by them now. So he must've gotten something to put on them. His shirt… Oh my god, this was too good to keep to himself.

"Ummm-- Hutch? Why is your shirt on inside out?" Starsky peered closer and lifted the material away from Hutch's collar bone. "Now I ain't no doctor but even I know that what's on your neck has nothin' to do with an allergic reaction to an insect."

Starsky watched as the blush spread across Hutch's face.

Hutch slapped Starsky's hand away as he grabbed his own neck to hide the hickey that had obviously appeared.

The shy smile that came over Hutch told Starsky everything he needed to know. "You got lucky, I sure as hell wasn't." He rubbed his stomach and grunted in pain as his hand passed over a sensitive spot.

Hutch still wanted to know about his car. As he was about to question Starsky further, a machine came noisily down the road toward them. They watched as the piece of equipment chewed up the old concrete in order to prepare the surface for stone and fresh tar which helped seal the road.

'Starsky, just tell me where my car is so we can get out of here. I accidentally discovered an illegal side business that the lady medic is involved with. I don't know if any of the crew is involved but,--- " The last few words were drowned out as the machine came along side them. Before either was aware of it, stone, concrete and other debris pelted them, causing legs, chest and face to sting from the material. They both tried to skip out of the way but the larger pieces met their target. The driver of the equipment seemed unaware of anybody standing on the side of the road. The road had been closed again further down while the two detectives were preoccupied with their respective adventures.

They continued backing away from the flying fragments that ripped at their skin. The noise from the machine made it impossible to either shout at the driver or for them to hear each other. Hutch grabbed Starsky to try to get his attention as they continued stepping backwards and the blond realized that his friend was in pain and ready to fall. As Hutch continued to pull Starsky toward him, the ground beneath them gave way. The guard rail had been removed some time ago and the signs along the road had pointed out that there were none in that area.

Starsky had been hit by a large piece of rock from the road. His earlier injuries were made worse by the larger pieces of cement that the machine had churned up and now he had a hard time seeing because of the dirt that flew in his eyes.

Without realizing it, the men had walked backwards far enough to reach the unprotected embankment. The ground was uneven and the loose dirt and stone gave way under the combined weight of both of them.

Still grasping at Starsky, Hutch tumbled backwards as they both went head over heals down the mound of dirt and rocks that had been piled there by the road crew.

Hutch stopped as he landed in a brushy area. Starsky tumbled a bit further down, coming to rest in a dry river gulch. All was quiet except for the continued rumble of the machines above. The crew members had no knowledge of the two bodies lying sprawled below.


	7. Chapter 7

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 7**

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Beth pressed her palms into her eyes. Damn Jimmy. They'd taken the car without thinking. That was the trouble she always got into when she was with him. She was so turned on by the dimples on either side of his face, that all he had to do was wink at her and she'd do anything to please him.

"I don't see why we just can't get the hell out of this town and go straight to Mexico. We both get jobs and start all over again… besides who really cares about either one of us except each other and I 'm hungry so why don't we…" Beth stopped to take a breath.

Jimmy winced. Beth had a hell of a body but man, the way she chattered constantly… made his ears hurt.

It was strictly a spur of the moment action to take the car. Once Jimmy saw the guy on the ground, he just panicked. He was on parole and one more mistake he'd be back in jail.

"Honey, do me a favor and shut up. You know I love ya but I gotta figure out what to do here. We should dump this car pretty soon." Jimmy switched on the radio, hoping to drown out Beth's voice. He was beginning to regret that he'd gone after her in the first place.

His hand beat in time to the song on the radio. But it was soon drowned out by another noise, one that he didn't anticipate.

"ZEBRA 3, COME IN ZEBRA 3. MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN."

Jimmy stopped drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He looked over at Beth who was busy filing her nails. Not until the voice sounded again did she look up from her task to question him with a glance.

"Just our damn luck. That guy I beat up must be a cop! I'm in deep shit now." Jimmy pursed his lips and put his finger up to them, warning Beth to be quiet.

"Starsky, pick up will you? Dobey's breathing down my neck. Cooperate now. No games!" The driver and passenger had no way of knowing that Captain Dobey was pacing back and forth in the control center. His detectives should have called in an hour ago to report about their meeting with Harry Hawkins.

Jimmy took a turn off the highway and made his way to the nearest town. He'd continually cautioned Beth to keep her mouth shut. He knew he'd have to pick up the mike and press the button in order to be heard, but his guilt and fear made him edgy. He felt like he was being followed, like the person on the other end of the line could tell who he was and what he was doing. He turned into an alley and headed down the next one until he decided they were far enough off the main road. He turned off the engine, thinking, planning his next move. The whole time they'd been driving, the voice on the radio kept getting more insistent until the woman's voice was replaced by a gruff, angry male voice.

Jimmy got out, ran to the passenger side of the car. He didn't want to abandon the car but he needed time to decide what to do. Knowing this was a cop car, he figured they'd be looking for the owner. But he needed to put space between himself and the problem, if only for an hour. Standing beside the car, he was glad that for once, Beth didn't question her man's actions as he opened her door and grabbed her hand. She blindly followed after him, not really having a choice as his grip tightened around her wrist. They slipped in between the slats of the building next to the car. Obviously Jimmy wasn't the first person to find peace within these walls. Jimmy led them into the small opening. He let go of Beth as he slumped against the wall. He slid to the floor, holding his head, wondering what to do next.

********************************************

Back at police headquarters in Bay City, Captain Dobey paced like a caged lion. He stalked back and forth, which irritated the hell out of Minnie. She tried her best to reach Starsky and Hutch but got no response. She sure hoped they weren't playing one of their games. If they could see how Dobey was fuming, they'd give everybody a break. The boys had a reputation for pretending that their radio wasn't working or that the line was full of static and ignoring the call.

"Here, give me that!" Dobey growled at Minnie as he grabbed the mike and switched it on.

"Hutchinson! Starsky! You hear me? Where the hell are you? Starsky!" He slammed the mike down on the desk, causing Minnie to jump as her captain continued to grumble.

"Get me that snitch… Harry… they were on their way there and were supposed to keep in contact." He continued walking the width of the small room. Minnie hated to remind her boss that no one knew how to get in touch with Harry.

"Captain, relax will ya?" Minnie pushed her glasses further up her nose. "I can check with Huggy to see if he knows. But remember, Harry's a pretty strange character. He covers his tracks even with Starsky and Hutch." She ducked her head as she felt rather than saw the brown eyes that pierced her back with impatience.

She tried to raise Zebra 3 again but this time, got nothing at all. She switched to another frequency, requesting that they do the same. A few minutes later there was still no response.

"You think they're alright? Even they wouldn't stay out of touch this long no matter how much they wanted to avoid you." She pushed her chair back and stood up, facing Captain Dobey. He'd stopped pacing, listening to the concern in her voice.

He slid his fingers through his hair and sighed. What kind of trouble were those two in now?

"Minnie, do the best you can. If you have to call Huggy, do it. If I have to chase after those two…" His anger dissolved as he thought about his two favorite detectives. Flashes of Hutch down a mountain side, trapped under his car, visions of Starsky battered and bruised by Simon Marcus' goons: these were all past adventures which he only hoped would not be repeated. He'd rather think they were deliberately trying to avoid him rather than the memories he'd like to forget about but couldn't.

Suddenly, his fear grabbed his imagination and he felt the need to investigate the situation for himself.

"Minnie, I didn't mean to jump down your throat. But I think I'll just go to Huggy's myself and ask him what he knows. Those two better be relaxing somewhere with a beer and girl between them so I can wring their necks!" Dobey tried to relieve the tension in the room with humor. But the attempt only heightened Minnie's inner feeling of trouble. She offered an encouraging smile to the captain as he hurried from the room.


	8. Chapter 8

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 8**

********************************

Captain Dobey headed toward The Pits. Things would make sense once he sorted it all out. Huggy could tell him where the detectives were to meet with Harry and if all other attempts to reach them failed, he would just go there himself. To make a decision gave the captain confidence. Why should he think anything was wrong? But he knew how easily those two men got into trouble. Their curiosity is what made them good detectives but it also was a source of frustration for their superior.

The Captain pulled up in front of The Pits. He breathed deeply as he exited the car. Silently he hoped that maybe Huggy would have heard from them and he'd be told that they were both on their way back and the whole trip was a waste of time. He shook his head as he entered the bar, knowing that his gut feeling meant the opposite.

"Well, well Captain Dobey… what brings you to this part of town?" Huggy slapped the bar towel over his shoulder as he reached out to shake the other man's hand.

Distracted by circumstances, the captain ignored the greeting to ask his own question, fully expecting a quick and precise answer.

"Have you heard from Starsky and Hutch? Do you know where they are?" The big black man parked on the nearest bar stool.

Huggy planted both his hands flat on the bar as he stared back at the man across from him. Captain Dobey did not easily pass the time with idle chatter when it came to Huggy. They had an uneasy understanding between them, connected by their individual relationships with Starsky and Hutch.

"Can't ya just ask 'em? What's got you so uptight,… ain't it alright?" Huggy knocked his cigarette against the ashtray before taking a deep drag.

"Huggy, cut the crap will ya? I need to know how to get in touch with them." The dark eyes that glared back at him, told Huggy more than he wanted to know. He ground out his cigarette as he blew the smoke out his nose. He watched the other man carefully.

"Captain, they in trouble?," Huggy asked in a serious, quiet tone. The grunt from the man in front of him told Huggy that his observation was an understatement.

Huggy blew out a long breath. He reached up to his hat, pulled it off and retrieved a folded up piece of paper. He smoothed it out over the surface of the bar to study it. After he read the words, he turned the paper so that Dobey could read it.

"This is all the contact I got about their rendezvous with Harry." Once before the thin bar owner had helped solve a puzzle that had led them to find Starsky that time in the old zoo. But just like then, Dobey wasn't in the mood to follow this man's words. He just wanted answers.

Dobey studied the paper, realizing that it was pretty vague and not likely to be of help. But maybe he could at least pick up in the direction he knew they'd had to follow and maybe get lucky and find them along the road, in the broken down LTD. If only it could be that simple.

He slapped his hand on the bar, stood up and walked toward the exit without having said anything else to Huggy.

"Just a minute my friend! Where do ya think you're goin?" Huggy slid down to the end of the bar to intercept the other man's exit. He reached out to the captain to stop him.

Gruffly, Dobey shrugged off Huggy's hand but turned to face him.

"They haven't checked in and don't answer their call sign. Now either they've chosen to ignore me which they know wouldn't be smart or…" He left the other choice hanging in the air. Unwilling to say it out loud, he reached in his pocket for the car keys.

Huggy held up his hands, silently asking the captain to stay put. The bar owner quickly made his way to the kitchen, spoke a few words to Diane and threw his apron on the counter as he walked back to join Dobey.

"Let's go, Amigo!" He presented a casual, uncaring attitude when in reality, Huggy was as concerned as Dobey. Huggy pushed the captain toward the door, not giving him time or space to object. Actually, Dobey was glad for the company. He was afraid of what they'd find and he didn't want to deal with it alone. Huggy had a good heart and was always willing to put himself out for his friends. The captain hoped Starsky and Hutch knew just how lucky they were to have such a person in their corner.

*****************************************

Jimmy slumped down against the wall of the building. It was dark and quiet or at least as quiet as it was gonna get with a chick like Beth. She kept nagging at him, wanting to know what he was gonna do. They'd been there for about a half an hour. An idea was beginning to take shape for Jimmy and he was just about ready to act on it.

"Babe, listen to me. We're gonna go back and pick up your boyfriend. He can help us get to Mexico. He's our ticket to freedom!" Jimmy jumped up, renewed with ideas and adrenaline. He thought about leaving Beth behind, but hell, it would be good once they got to Mexico to settle down with her. Having that body next to him always made him feel like he could do anything. She always believed in him and now that she was having a kid, well, he needed to do right by her.

Having a cop as insurance and the radio to monitor the police as they hunted for him, would give them the advantage. He could stay one step ahead of everybody.

'But Jimmy, you beat him up pretty bad. What if you… what if he's dead?" Beth couldn't handle that. She'd seen what Jimmy was capable of when it came to fighting but that guy never moved once he hit the ground. Too bad 'cause he sure was foxy. She loved guys with muscles and dark curly hair. She studied Jimmy who had that same look but there was something sort of dangerous about him that she found extremely sexy. Maybe her luck would change once they got to Mexico.

"He ain't dead. C'mon, we're goin' back to get him and then we can be on our way. Just keep quiet though. I'm sick of your jabbering." He pulled her toward him for a hard kiss. He might be sick of her chatter, but he'd never get enough of the taste of her.


	9. Chapter 9

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 9**

The darkness was all around him. His hands were behind him secured by handcuffs around some sort of pipe or pole which was attached to the wall at his back. All this registered as Hutch tried to analyze without seeing. His other senses helped him figure out exactly what his condition was.

Without a shirt, his chest was exposed to the chill air. His bare feet skimmed the floor identifying the surface as cold metal. Thankfully he still had his pants, which brought some comfort, knowing that he wasn't completely naked.

He realized there was something very wrong. His leg felt strange, almost like it wasn't part of him.

The left pant leg flapped against his skin, causing a burning sensation. If felt wet like blood but there was something more which he couldn't immediately identify. But he did finally understand that he was blindfolded.

He forced himself to breathe evenly. Not being able to see made him feel disoriented. He needed to know Starsky was close by. That would help his growing uneasiness.

Hutch listened closely but heard no other noises, voices, cars or anything else that gave away his location. He cleared his throat but hesitated to speak for fear of the consequences. Were they alone? Was he even in the same place as Starsky? He cleared his throat again, coughing up saliva. He spit to the side as best he could but still felt wetness slide down his chest. He was reminded of his earlier allergic reaction to the ants which had attacked him. The itching returned although it was not as intense as before. It was hard to ignore but for the time being, he forced himself to remain still. He wasn't sure where he was but also he was reluctant to draw attention to himself in case the person or persons responsible for his confinement were near. What he really wanted was to know where Starsky was.

"Starsky?" He whispered at first, still not sure if his friend was there or if they were alone.

"Hey, buddy, you here?" He listened intently and thought he heard moaning. Hutch kicked his foot out to the side, hoping to connect with the source of groaning that continued. Instead of gaining more knowledge of the surroundings, moving his leg confirmed his fear that the limb was either broken or severely bruised. He remembered that the two of them had fallen over the hill and he'd landed in brush and tree roots. But that still didn't tell him where Starsky was now.

From somewhere close by, a voice tried to find itself. At first, a moan and air moving through burning lungs was all that Starsky was aware of. The dark haired man forced the fogginess from his brain. His eyes felt heavy but his first thought was of Hutch.

"Hu.. Hutch?" Starsky's voice was low and dry. He tried to sit up but the pressure in his chest hindered any further movement. He tried again to speak.

"Hey, you okay?" Starsky asked quietly. He wasn't sure about Hutch's condition until his tentative question was rewarded by a nervous laugh.

"I'm just dandy! Can you see?" Hutch drew in a deep breath as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

Starsky looked around. Yes he could now dimly make out Hutch's body on the opposite wall. They were in some sort of metal shed or box car. As for his own predicament, he swore when he tried to straighten.

"I'm across from you on the floor, hooked somehow to the wall of this tin can. Your back is to me, can you move?"

A link of chain rattled against the floor as Starsky tried to stand. His ankles were shackled to the wall but his hands were free. The chain seemed long enough to allow him to change his position. He didn't have the energy yet to test its length because his immediate physical condition grabbed his attention as he realized that his situation was not only inconvenient but suddenly he was aware of a bigger problem.

"Hutch, I think my left arm is broken." Starsky let out a grunt when the movement caused the broken bone to shift. He felt and heard the grinding in his shoulder with long waves of pain down to his fingers.

He tried to control the pain, forcing the sensation out of his head and concentrated on their immediate problem. He hitched a breath and tried to find a comfortable position, one that wouldn't put too much pressure on his left side.

Starsky ignored the pull to his back as he tried to get a better view of the structure that they were in. In one corner up near the ceiling, there was a hole which let in some light. The chain rattled as Starsky scooted for a better position.

"What happened?" Starsky was anxious to know of his friend's condition. Hutch was too quiet. A few moans and clinking handcuffs was all he heard at the moment. There was no way he could physically get up to be near Hutch but he still needed contact. He wanted to be able to see Hutch's face.

Hutch turned his head until he connected with his upper arm. He rubbed the blindfold against his bicep, trying to loosen or dislodge the material completely. Not being able to see made him nervous and agitated. Once he got his bearings, he'd be able to think. Suddenly the binding fell away and he blinked rapidly, adjusting to the difference in light even though it was still dark but much lighter in comparison. He let out a grateful sigh and twisted around until he was facing Starsky.

At that point, both men took in the other and at the same time let out the same words,

'Oh shit!" Both men were shocked at the other's appearance and now more than ever needed to provide comfort.

Starsky stared at Hutch, who obviously had a broken bone in his leg. At the very least only the ankle was involved but his leg was swollen up to the knee. Someone had cut away the pant leg as if they tried to relieve some of the pain. But all that had done was give the injury space to swell further up the leg. Also, the rash that had previously started this whole adventure had returned and spread over Hutch's chest and face. His eyes were red and swollen.

Hutch also got a good look at his friend. Starsky held his left arm close to his body but still it hung limp. The left side was disfigured in appearance and the blond winced in response to their conditions. Along with the broken arm, Starsky's shirt was bloodied and ripped as were his pants. A dark stain near his knee hinted at a gash there. The material was cut away and sliced up to the knee where the blood stained his jeans. He was missing one blue Adidas.

Hutch almost missed the swollen eye and bruised face because of his scrutiny of Starsky's other more serious injuries. The bruises on his face were left from the beating he'd endured before they'd fallen over the hill. Now his eye was so swollen that Hutch doubted Starsky could see out of it and the right side of his face was marred by a deep purple color that even in the poor light, Hutch had no trouble noticing.

Their eyes locked, providing the only comfort available at the moment. Starsky's eyes narrowed as he surveyed Hutch's restraints. Then he looked back at his own chains and pulled on them in frustration.

"How did we get here? I know we fell over the hill but I don't remember anything until a few minutes ago." Starsky pushed himself against the wall and cradled his arm.

"I think my friend Billie is responsible." ,Hutch said in a miserable voice. Not only did he regret his earlier contact with her, but now it was his fault that they were both in such a mess.

"I accidentally figured out that she's involved with drugs and I'm pretty certain this is her way of getting me out her way."

"Ya think Harry Hawkins wanted us to find out about it? We already know he's got a weird way of givin' us information." Starsky sucked in a breath as a particularly sharp pain ran the length of his arm. He couldn't stop himself from reacting to the sensation. His breath quickened as he tried to get past the pain.

"Starsky, just breathe evenly. C'mon, listen to my voice. Look at me." Hutch's voice got stronger and more insistent. "Look at me and concentrate on me." Hutch's frustration mounted at his inability to comfort his friend with anything other than empty words. But nevertheless, the slow, steady words reached Starsky as his breath evened out and the pain began to lessen.

Starsky's gaze never wavered from Hutch's. Sweat stung his eyes and ran down his temples but finally the pain subsided.

"All I can say," Starsky winced at another jab of pain but tried to talk around it, "I sure hope she was worth it. 'Cause she sure is one vengeful lady."

"By the way, buddy, you never did tell me the rest of YOUR story. Why did you leave my car? Or better yet, just where exactly IS my car?" Hutch shifted and immediately regretted moving. He let out a long moan as he felt the bone in his leg burn.

Starsky heard the cry and struggled to get to his knees. That made him dizzy so he sat back down and tried to push himself closer to Hutch. The chain gave only so much, just enough for him to reach toward his friend. He grabbed Hutch's good ankle to attract his attention.

"Hutch, don't move. Your leg looks pretty bad. But we'll be okay. We've been in deeper shit than this." Starsky inched as close as his restraints would allow. He reached over as far as he could until his right hand landed on Hutch's thigh. The two men stared at each other, gaining strength and confidence.

Hutch sucked in his breath and let his head fall forward. Starsky wasn't sure if he was responding to the attempted joke or if the blond wanted to hide his amount of pain. Either way, Starsky grew more concerned about his friend.

Deciding they both needed distracted, Starsky opted to tell Hutch the truth about the LTD.

"Remember I told you about Beth and her boyfriend?" Starsky tapped at Hutch's good leg, making sure the blond was looking at him and concentrating on his words. The dark haired man tried his best to divert his friend's attention away from the pain or at the very least to help him think of something else.

"Yeah, I think you said you tried to reach her tonsils with your tongue?" Hutch offered a wobbly smile.

"Hey, she kissed me! Anyway, that's when the muscle bound idiot attacked me." Starsky hesitated. He had trouble at the moment ignoring his own pain so he stopped in order to get in a better position. He moved back toward the wall a bit to relieve the pressure on his ankles from the chains.

"Don't stop now… I can't wait to here the rest." Hutch spoke softly despite wanting to sound angry. He really didn't have the energy for a good fight. His leg was numb and he felt like he was going to pass out. He forced himself to pay attention to Starsky. But both men wanted only to help the other. Keeping a conversation going was the only way they knew of to work together until a solution to their problems presented itself. Hutch had no idea how they were going to get out of this but he had to hang on for Starsky.

"Well, there I was layin' on the ground, helpless and bleeding…." Starsky continued with his exaggerated explanation. ---"they took advantage of me bein' passed out otherwise, I woulda decked that guy!"

"Starsky, quit stalling and tell me what happened!" Hutch's voice rose with an attempt to show anger but it was more a way to hide another wave of pain and nausea. His head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes.

"What next?" Hutch kept his eyes closed and waited for Starsky's voice to bring him back to the present.

"Well, uhh… they stole your car! But before you bitch at me, I want ya to know I cleaned out your damn old car while I was waitin' for you." The energy began to fade from Starsky. He also felt like he was close to losing consciousness. He struggled to keep his brain functioning but without much success.

Hutch responded but his voice was barely a whisper. He worked at keeping himself oriented but the words didn't completely reach Starsky.

With slurred speech, Hutch tried to respond to what Starsky had just said.

"Stolen?" Hutch's head bobbed up and down. The strength in his neck was slowly giving way. He didn't have the power to keep his head up.

Likewise, Starsky was having trouble dealing with the pain. His eyes refused to stay open. Passing out seemed to be the only option. He forced out one more sentence before darkness over came him too.

"Couldn't help it…"

He peered at Hutch who seemed to have passed out. Starsky's chin dropped to his chest and all was quiet.


	10. Chapter 10

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 10**

***************************************

Captain Dobey wasn't in the mood for conversation. He concentrated on the road ahead and tried not to think what lay beyond what he could see in front of him.

For once, Huggy remained quiet. He sensed that the captain wouldn't appreciate a lot of noise so Huggy kept his thoughts to himself. He knew they were traveling the same road that Starsky and Hutch would have taken so he searched ahead, looking for the LTD.

A few miles before there was evidence, they began to see the road signs announcing the construction ahead. It was now early evening and between shifts. They would actually be working on the road through the night. The crew wanted to take advantage of the dry weather so large stadium type lighting had been set up and as soon as the next shift began work, the lights would be turned on, making the areas as bright as day.

But even without the crew at work, the signs warning of delays and lane restrictions still remained. It was close to dusk and very sticky outside. Cars slowed down in response to the merge signs. Three lanes were directed into one and as always, there were some cars that defied the instructions about when to merge. The road shimmered in the heat and drivers had their windows down, hoping to capture some breeze to cool off their slow pace. So the line of cars crawled forward; some drivers already anxiously honking their horns in frustration.

The car inched slowly while it bumped along on the torn up road.

Huggy snickered at the sign ahead.

"Well, that's thoughtful. A sign stating the obvious: _**---BUMPY ROAD AHEAD****--."**_ He shook his head but continued to search the shoulder of the road, keeping his eyes open for signs of his friends.

Captain Dobey got on the police radio, asking for recent information about either of his detectives.

"Minnie, come in please! What have you got for me?"

"Sorry Captain, nothing yet, the guys still haven't…" Her explanation was cut off by a very grouchy voice.

"Damn it. What are you doing down there? Get me answers!" Captain Dobey clicked off and turned a dark stare as Huggy offered reassurance.

"Hey, hey slow down! Your people are doin' the best they can!" Huggy reached out to the driver, offering an understanding hand on the other man's shoulder.

Captain Dobey continued to glare out the window. "Well, it's just not good enough." Dobey slammed on the brakes as his attention turned back to the cars in front of him.

None of the cars moved for the next few minutes. Horns blared behind Dobey's car, as if that would fix the problem and miraculously unplug the bottle neck ahead.

After another delay, the cars began to move and the car directly in front suddenly veered off, taking the next exit. A short time later, as they came up to another exit, the next vehicle in front of the captain took that turn off without the benefit of using a turn signal. There were two car lengths between the next car. The captain wasn't in any hurry to close the space, especially once he saw what had caused the problem.

It seemed that the reason for the long delay was a disabled car with two flat tires. Something was scattered over the road ahead so Captain Dobey wasn't anxious to follow too closely.

He stared out the windshield though, suddenly more interested in the car ahead. He remained well behind it but had an urge to engage Huggy in conversation.

"Huggy, what kind of car do you think that is in front of us?" He waited while Huggy turned his attention to the car in question.

"Sure is a wreck! I wouldn't be caught dead in such a beat up clunker!"

Exasperated, Dobey blew out a breath and rubbed his hand over his face.

"I didn't ask your opinion of it, I wanted to know the make of that car." His voice was hard, but had an edge of curiosity to it.

"Well, my best guess is that it's an LTD, like… like… hey, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Damn, see the license plate? I'm gonna get closer. I don't wanna get on the radio though in case…" He left the sentence unfinished as the car moved slowly.

Huggy leaned forward to get a better view of the license plate. "018 MEL.. shit, that's Hutch's car! Get on that radio, call it in, shout out to Minnie, do something!"

The implication of the license plate had the opposite effect on the captain. His head cleared as he forced himself to think rationally even though he wanted to jump out and rip apart who ever it was that was driving Hutch's LTD. He was certain once they got a better view, the person driving wouldn't be one of his detectives.

"Well that sure ain't curly sittin' there," Huggy noted. They were close enough to see that the passenger was a woman. But the back window was so dirty that the view of the driver was obstructed by built up grime.

"Think I'm gonna make it mandatory for all detectives to have a clean car. I can't tell who's driving because of all the dust on the damn window." Dobey thought a minute before he reached for the mike. Huggy realized what he was about to do and searched the man's face for an explanation.

"Dispatch, this is Captain Dobey. I'm requesting a DMV reading on plate number **ZERO-ONE- EIGHT** Michael-Edward-Larry, that's 018 MEL."

Minnie's excited voice came over the line in response. "Captain, that's Hutch's car. Did you find them?"

The captain smiled to himself and waited to see what would happen next.

"Huggy, we're about to find out how this yahoo acquired Hutch's car. I'm pretty certain he's gonna make it real easy for us!"

Just then the back end of Hutch's car shimmied and rocked. Huggy could see the people inside moving around, twisting to look out the windows. Huggy rolled his window down completely and chuckled as he heard loud voices from the car ahead.

Then, the door opened, as a man stepped outside with something dangling from his hands. Noticing the nails spread over the highway, he kicked the door closed then ran carefully but quickly to the shoulder of the road. While Huggy and the captain watched, the man lifted the police radio above his head and threw it to the ground. The equipment broke apart and for good measure, the tall, muscular fellow stomped on the bigger pieces, sending parts skidding across the gravel.

Quickly, the captain got back on the radio, gave his location, asking for back up and an ambulance for good measure. He was pretty certain that the rescue vehicle would no doubt be needed.

The Captain hauled himself out of the car and strode over to the car thief. Dobey was anxious to find out how this person got involved with Hutch's car. He tried not to think beyond his professional responsibilities.

"Hold it right there." The captain barked orders, holding his gun on the man. He got out his handcuffs to secure this man as quickly as possible.

"I'm Captain Dobey with Bay City Police Department. You're under arrest for car theft, destroying government property and you're under suspicion for kidnapping." After identifying himself and the charges, he snapped the handcuffs around the man's hands and dragged him back to his car.

Huggy got out of Dobey's car and in spite of his apprehension, couldn't help chuckling to himself. How would Hutch take the news that his car had at least two flat tires due to some bizarre rain of nails scattered over the highway? The iron spikes were strewn over the road in the section where Dobey had met up with the blond detective's car.

The bar owner wasn't quite sure he should get involved but he was too curious to find out about his friends to really stop and think. He hurried over to the LTD, opened the door and dragged the woman out. He stared at her and held her wrist with a strong grip. The two people watched as Dobey secured his prisoner. He latched the other handcuff inside the car. There was a hook on the roof which would secure the thief safely until back up arrived.

Huggy dragged the woman with him as he came back to their car. She was sobbing and pleading for mercy toward her man, making Huggy want to slap her. Her high pitched, continual chatter got on his nerves.

"What's your name?" The captain began to question.

"Jimmy. My name's Jimmy and that's all you're gettin from me, pig." Jimmy ducked, fully expecting to be slapped for his insolent manner. But no such rebuke came other than a dark, steely gaze in his direction.

"Lovely lady, what might your name be?" Huggy asked in a polite voice. She'd finally stopped crying but now in answer to Huggy, she launched an attack on her boyfriend.

"My name's Beth and that moron is my boyfriend. Jimmy if you weren't so pig headed we wouldn't be in this mess. I tried to tell him to leave that guy alone but no, he's so jealous he couldn't wait to beat the poor guy up."

Jimmy scowled at Beth and began his own tirade. "Woman, shut the hell up! Can't you ever keep your trap closed?" The exchange between them had heightened the Captain's concern and he wanted to know more but Huggy beat him to it.

"Listen girlie, what guy are you talking about? Was he drivin' that car?" Huggy still held Beth by the wrist and pointed her in the direction of Hutch's LTD. Dobey let him continue, realizing he didn't trust himself at the moment to keep a professional attitude. He didn't like where the conversation was headed.

"Yeah, I was tryin' to get away from him," She pointed her head in Jimmy's direction, "when I ran into this really sexy guy! I was so upset that when I reached him, I just couldn't help myself and I collapsed in his arms and man, did he smell good!" At the memory, she licked her lips and curled a piece of hair around her finger.

Dobey regained control of his emotions enough to ask a question of his own.

"Did this man have blond hair or brown?" The captain waited for an answer he didn't want confirmed.

"Ohhh, he had the best hair, all curly and dark. I like my men with lots of hair. He had the cutest little mole right here…" She pointed to a place under her eye and continued to dream about the handsome man. She'd really hoped that Jimmy's crazy scheme would have worked and that they'd find him and she could sit between the two macho specimens. What an adventure that would be!

"But then Jimmy had to go and screw things up when he started beatin' on him because the guy had his arms around me."

"Beth if you don't stop talkin', I swear I'll… " Jimmy's frustration was cut off by sirens in the distance. He pulled at his restraints.

"Captain, excuse me for saying so, but she just described Starsky. Just like him to try to help out a woman in trouble!" Huggy let go of Beth's wrist. He shook his hand, trying to get the circulation back. He hadn't realized he'd been holding Beth's hand so tightly. Now they knew about Starsky, but they still weren't any closer at finding out where the two detectives were. Huggy tried not to think too far ahead and gladly stepped away from the little group as the police cruisers pulled up to Dobey's car.

Huggy walked over to the side of the road as the ambulance pulled over to the shoulder. The bar owner stared at it, hoping the rescue vehicle wouldn't be needed. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He paced up and down, taking a drag of the cigarette and blowing it out his nose. Smoking always calmed him down and helped him think. He watched as Jimmy and Beth were loaded into two different police cars. Jimmy continued to complain about Beth and for her part, she just jabbered on, with no particular subject to her ranting.

Huggy thought about what the girl had said about Starsky. She never mentioned the blond. So where was he? What had happened that the two of them had gotten separated? Neither man would have willingly let the other out of their sight unless they'd not had a choice. But Beth never said that Starsky was concerned or upset about anything, she just never mentioned Hutch. Why would he be hitting on a woman if Hutch were in danger? Huggy flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped at the butt.


	11. Chapter 11

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 11**

*******************************************

Huggy made his way back to Dobey, who was giving a rundown of their conversation with the two young people. As the Captain saw him, he waved goodbye to the officer and met up with Huggy.

The two men studied each other, each wondering the same thing.

"She never said anything about Hutch." Huggy spoke in a hushed tone. He was concerned for both his friends but the mystery of why they weren't together really bothered him.

"You noticed that too? Huggy, maybe you'd make a good detective." Dobey tried to lighten his mood, giving in to the need for friendship.

"They're my friends and I just can't handle thinkin' about them in trouble. What you gonna do?" Huggy reached into his pocket for another cigarette.

Without planning it, the two men began walking up the road. Not only was the road partially closed due to construction, but now it was considered a crime scene. The police and Captain Dobey had decided that the search for the missing men would start right where they were. They'd gotten out of Jimmy that he'd picked up Hutch's car a few hundred yards from where they were now. Beth confirmed that she and Starsky had been together just a little ways down the road. She couldn't be sure exactly how far, but knew that it had taken her about 5 minutes before she'd reached Starsky. Her story was confirmed when the police found Jimmy's abandoned car about ½ mile from their present location. It only made sense to start looking for the detectives in that same area.

Dobey knew the management for the construction wouldn't be happy with the delay but he really didn't care about inconveniencing them. The cars were all being directed to take the next two exits and all exits in the opposite direction were now closed. Not only was the area a crime scene but with the nails spread out as they were, that added to the problem. It was getting dark and they figured that the lighting which had been set up for the night time road work would be just perfect for lighting the area for a search.

As with many searches, the missing persons always seemed to be right in plane sight. Huggy and Dobey didn't have to go very far before they'd find the first clue.

Dobey and Huggy started walking in the direction that Beth had pointed out. Their walk was more to have something to do than any real destination in mind.

Huggy spoke aloud what he'd been thinking about earlier.

"Captain, why do ya think Starsky was alone when Beth found him? Hutch would never leave Starsky without a good reason." The bar owner tipped his hat back off his forehead to scratch his scalp.

"Who knows? Trouble seems to follow them no matter what they're doing." Dobey stopped and reached into his back pocket for a handkerchief. He wiped his face and blew his nose. It was early evening but there didn't seem to be any relief from the heat of the day. The lights had been turned on so their direction was well lit,

"When I pulled Beth out of the car, I saw two stuffed garbage bags in the back seat. That ain't Hutch's style. It was way too clean."

The men kept walking until all of the sudden, Huggy stopped. He didn't say anything but pointed at something on the ground.

Dobey walked closer, bent over to get a better look. As he straightened up, his face was lined with worry.

Addressing his companion but already walking back toward the officers, Dobey confirmed what Huggy had just seen.

"That's Starsky's shoe. What the hell happened?"

Dobey started barking out orders before he even got within speaking distance to the group of detectives who seemed just to be standing around. The captain handed out orders, expecting each team to get to work without further discussion.

He hurried back to where Huggy waited by the lone shoe. The bar owner had not touched the shoe, knowing that it would not be wise to disturb the area. But he did notice something else and stood near a pile of stones and other road debris.

"Excuse me for being forward, but do ya see all the foot prints here?" Huggy pointed out all the imprints on the side of the road. It was an expected discovery given the fact that countless people had been in this area. Not one of them was clear enough but it was the pile of stone and concrete that really caught Huggy's eye.

The Captain moved closer to the mound of debris. He was impressed with Huggy's observations but wasn't in the mood to hand out compliments.

Captain Dobey squatted down to the fragments of stone and rocks. He studied the direction the pile seemed to hint at. There was no guard rail but the stones seemed to have been scattered away from the road, toward the gradual decline of the hill below them.

"Look right there… only a couple of prints and I'd say they're fresh." He stood up and whistled to get one of the detectives to join them.

He scanned the decline of land below them. He didn't like what he was thinking, not at all. Some sort of foul play had been going on. He had no other suspects other than Jimmy and Beth but he believed their story. Something else happened here and the captain was afraid of what they might find.

"Phillips! Get a team together, get ropes and flashlights and get over the side of that hill. Starsky and Hutch just might be down there. Get a move on!"

Huggy listened, gazing down the hillside. He decided he couldn't keep quiet much longer. He had to do something. So in a voice stronger than he thought he possessed at the time, he cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed out his friends' names.

"Starsky! Hutch! Help's on the way!" There, he felt like he was doing something to help. He wasn't about to go down there to look, he knew he'd be in the way. But he was nervous. He couldn't stand there either and wait for them to find something so he continued walking along the road.

He was lost in thought as he walked. He recalled many times when one or both of the men had been in trouble. Fortunately, it always worked out. They'd be found, a bit battered and bruised but they always survived, mainly because of each other.

He had been walking perhaps five minutes when he stopped in his tracks. He turned around and realized how far he'd come. Behind him he could see a group of men milling around the captain, all of them waiting for news from the team that had gone over the hill. Huggy couldn't hear them talking, but he definitely heard somebody talking. Actually it was more of a one sided argument, the voice raised in anger and frustration. He couldn't make out the words but he did recognize that the voice belonged to a woman. He walked a bit further until he saw the source of the anger. He didn't believe what he was seeing. This whole situation with Starsky and Hutch was very strange. There were more questions than answers and here was another question. Why was there a woman chained to a dumpster? He hesitated rather than move forward right away. Captain Dobey, somebody other than him, should be here to see this. The woman had not seen him but she kept pulling on the chain that locked her to the dumpster. Huggy quickly retraced his steps to take him back to Dobey.

In less time than it took him to move away from them, Huggy returned to Dobey and his men. The thin black man tried to sort out what to say. He didn't understand the meaning of what he'd seen. It was too weird.

"Captain? Hey, I…" Huggy stopped, unable to form the words. He looked over at the men coming back up the hill. The men were moving too slowly, and they were too quiet to have found anything, good or bad. So it was up to Huggy to share the scene he found up the road.

"Captain?" Huggy started again, wanting Dobey's attention but still not sure what to tell him.

'Huggy, not now. If you're ready to go back to the city, take my car. But leave me alone." Dobey rubbed at his temple, trying to massage away the headache that pounded in his head.

"Captain, I found something." Huggy's voice was quiet, devoid of any emotion. He was tired like everybody else but no way would he leave until they found his friends.

"Huggy, I know. You found Starsky's shoe. Just stay out of the way." Dobey walked away, trying to plan what to do next. He turned around when he felt someone touch his arm. He was ready to strike out, wipe away the caring gesture. But the look he saw in Huggy's eyes got him interested in what Huggy had to say.


	12. Chapter 12

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 12**

************************************

Huggy tried to remain calm. He wanted to say this just right. He didn't want anything of what he was about to say to be misunderstood.

"Captain, I walked a little further up the road and saw something very weird. Ya gotta have a look for yourself." He was breathless with the need for action and a desire to help. He wanted someone to tell him what was going on.

Captain Dobey sighed but started walking in the direction that Huggy indicated. He stopped to turn toward another detective to make sure he was coming with them.

The three men walked forward, Huggy walking a bit faster, silently urging the men to walk faster. They all stopped at the same time once they saw the dumpster, the woman chained to it and a metal shed beside that. The woman had stopped struggling and had slumped to the ground. Her restraints were long enough and loose enough to allow her to sit beside the dumpster. She leaned back, resting her head against it.

'Excuse me miss?" Dobey quietly asked the mysterious woman. She didn't respond right away so he moved closer to her and bent down to touch the top of her head.

Her head snapped up, her eyes angry but they also had a foggy look to them. She stared at Dobey, then Huggy and back to Dobey. She attempted to stand up and grudgingly accepted Dobey's support as she swayed and leaned against the refuse container.

She drew her self up to her full height before she spoke. When she did speak, all the anger and frustration that had built up was directed toward the men standing in front of her.

"I sure as hell hope you've got a chain cutter on you because if you don't, you ain't no help to me." She shook the chain connecting her to the dumpster to emphasize her point.

She felt woozy and was having a hard time keeping her eyes focused.

'Look here miss, you better start telling us what's going on. How'd you end up like this?" Dobey grew impatient and now wanted answers. Maybe she'd know what happened to Starsky and Hutch.

"Quit calling me 'miss'. Sounds like some old maid or something. My name's Billie, I'm the contractor for this damn road project." She lost her balance and landed back on the ground. She put her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead there for a minute.

"Billie, I'm Captain Harold Dobey of the Bay City precinct. I'm missing two of my men who were known to be traveling this road. They've disappeared and seeing that you're in a somewhat of a compromised position, maybe we can help each other."

"This has been a day from hell." Billie grumbled. She remained on the ground and resumed rattling the chain that connected her to the big metal container.

"Just get this damn chain cut off me!" Her voice rose to an angry decibel by the time she got to the last word.

Captain Dobey's voice rumbled with frustration. He began to wonder if this woman had anything to do with his detective's disappearance. She was a beautiful woman and he wouldn't put it past the two men to have gotten in some kind of trouble as a result of meeting her. He had no intention of letting her go until he got some answers.

"Look here, Billie, just tell me if you've seen either of these men today." Dobey pulled out the police I.D. pictures of Starsky and Hutch. He showed them to the still fuming woman and watched her face carefully as she studied the photos.

She hesitated a bit too long which confirmed the captain's belief that Billie knew more than she wanted to share.

"Let me just explain something to you. These two men are detectives in my department. I think that somehow you're involved with them and right now, you're in no position to lie to me."

Billie gave another angry shake of her chain and glared at the police captain.

"Yeah I saw both of 'em," she snarled. She pointed her chin at Hutch's picture. "That one, though, I'd like to strangle him. He really pissed me off, that blond haired sneak…" She stopped herself from continuing, realizing she'd already given too much in the way of her involvement with the handsome blond. The implication of what she'd just been told, hit her. She hissed out another string of complaints against the blond.

"I shoulda guessed about Hutch. A detective huh? That blond was a smooth operator alright. He sure is good under cover!" She giggled in resignation and annoyance.

The captain had heard enough. He had a sneaking suspicion about what she referred to. Knowing both men, he could come to a pretty accurate conclusion about all of this. She was involved with something illegal, of that he was certain and somehow, Hutch had found out.

"Who did this to you Billie? Was it one of these men?" Dobey pointed again at the picture of his detectives. Something better start to make sense soon.

"No it was some other wise guy. He came up behind me, grabbed me around my throat, told me his name was Harry and then forced a smelly rag over my face and the next thing I knew…" Her voice trailed off but she shook her restraints once again.

Dobey wiped his hand over his face. So many questions; too much muddled information that didn't connect.

Huggy had been standing off to the side, listening to the conversation but also, the metal structure caught his attention. He started walking around it to get a better look. He passed to the back of it then around to the front where the door was. It was fastened with a pad lock and a loop of chain, securing the door tightly. He slapped his hand against it, figuring that they'd reached a dead end. Billie had seen them, but it didn't seem like she would willingly provide any more information.

Huggy was about to rejoin Dobey and the other detective when he stopped. He had only gone a few feet away from the door when he thought he heard something. Billie was still ranting and cussing about being let go, but Huggy thought he heard something else. He rested his ear against the door but didn't hear anything. He stepped back and grabbed the pad lock and shook it then kicked at the door. There, he was sure he heard a voice, muffled and faint but he was sure of it now. Someone, perhaps Starsky, maybe Hutch or possibly both of them was in there?

"Captain, make tracks man. Somebody's in here!" He rapped on the door again and this time, there was a definite banging answer from inside.


	13. Chapter 13

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 13**

*********************************

Starsky was cold. His body felt heavy. He struggled with every breath and even the slightest movement caused searing pain to radiate through his arm and upper body. He was sure he had a few cracked ribs which made breathing also painful. The gash in his knee had stopped bleeding but again, he was weak and unable to pull himself closer to Hutch. His thoughts were scattered. He couldn't be sure how long they'd been there and wasn't able to concentrate long enough to form some sort of escape plan. No one knew where they were except for the person who put them there and Starsky had no idea who that was or if they'd be back.

Hutch had not spoken or moved for some time. The inside of the shed was growing darker and becoming chilled by the outside air. All Starsky could do was listen to Hutch's breathing. It seemed slow and shallow. Occasionally the blond would moan or twitch but he never became completely conscious. Probably a combination of the broken leg and reaction to the insect bites had drained his body of the ability to fight back. Starsky tried to keep talking to his friend, hoping that some part of Hutch could still understand and hold on.

"Hutch, you gotta listen to me. We'll be okay. You'll see, Harry will contact Huggy, Huggy will contact Dobey and the cavalry will march in and save us!" Starsky's words had no effect on the blond. He wasn't sure he believed them himself but for Hutch's sake, he had to remain positive.

Starsky leaned back against the wall but shivered as the cold steel came in contact with his body. He couldn't hold back the moan nor could he control the pain any longer. He knew he was getting weaker. He began thinking about food.

"When we get to Rose's, I sure hope..", Starsky shivered again but thought of warm food and a soft bed. He felt himself drifting, not sure if what he smelled was real. "Hey Hutch, she made us chicken soup! Don't it smell terrific?"

Some time later Starsky's body jerked painfully, rousing him from an uneasy dream. He thought he heard a noise but, he couldn't trust his senses anymore. At first he thought it was Hutch. He listened but only heard breathing followed by a slight cough.

"I'm still here, buddy. Help's comin', I promise!" The tingles of pain were constant but he couldn't force it away any longer. His body flopped sideways and he landed on his damaged left side. A low grunt of pain was all Starsky could manage. Gravity took his body and guided him onto his back. Now he was helpless. He couldn't see Hutch anymore and his own breathing was ragged.

But something had reached his muddled brain. All of the sudden, Starsky became acutely aware of his surroundings. He knew the two of them were in a bad way but he was certain he'd heard voices. He had no choice but to lay still on the hard floor which became increasingly chilled. But he knew he'd heard something outside of their prison. He heard it again, a far away voice, but it sounded angry or excited. No words only a rattling sound, like his own chains. He concentrated, trying to sort out if what he heard was Hutch's breathing or if it was beyond the door of the shed.

He thought he screamed out in answer to the noise but he couldn't hear his own voice. Breathing was too painful. He lay on the cold floor, panting with pain and fear.

Now he knew he was hallucinating. He could have sworn he heard Huggy's voice. It confused Starsky even more. Was he in the alley behind The Pits? Why didn't the bar owner help him?

The next time he heard the voice, it was accompanied by loud banging, which echoed inside the shed. Still not sure if he was imagining the noise, Starsky gathered his strength and shoved his feet against the wall. At least he was doing something to get them out of there. He wondered if he could break the wall by slamming his feet against it. If he could just kick at it hard enough…

"Help! We're in here!" Starsky forced his feet up against the wall, ignoring the pain. His voice sounded low and raspy in his ears. His feet slipped down the wall back to the floor. Gasping with pain and frustration, he rested, unable to move again. But the outside pounding continued and Huggy's voice grew louder.

"Huggy! We need help! Go get Dobey!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, despite the burning and pressure the energy caused. No matter how much he willed his feet to beat at the wall again, there was no more strength left in him physically. Yelling was about all he could do and even that ability was fading.

Suddenly, the door opened, brightening the shed from the glare of lights set up outside.

Hands reached for Starsky, gentle but firm. He still wasn't sure if what was happening was real but his own fear melted away and he no longer cared if what he saw and heard was real.

Dobey took over. He contacted the rest of the team with the walkie-talkie ordering everyone to his location, particularly the ambulance.

"We've got ya now curly." Huggy crouched down by Starsky, swiping his hand over the man's forehead.

"Hutch! He's over there. Help him!" Starsky tried to get to his friend but his body didn't respond to the command. He felt strong hands against his chest.

"The medics are here. Just rest now." Again, Starsky tried to get to his friend but had to give in to weakness and pain.

"He's worse than me. Had a reaction …" Starsky's voice gave out. The only thing he could do now was breathe. But Huggy never moved from the man's side. He offered encouragement while the medic worked over him. The other ambulance worker and Dobey were with Hutch.

"How is he captain?" Huggy's voice broke with relief at finally finding the two detectives. But looking at both men, his apprehension grew. They both seemed to be in pretty bad shape and he couldn't imagine how they'd gotten that way.

Dobey looked over at the medic for an answer but the man was engrossed with the task of checking over Hutch before he spoke.

"He's weak. Looks like he's got a broken leg plus an anaphylactic reaction."

"A what?" Dobey's confusion at the term terrified him. It sounded serious.

"He must've been bitten by an insect and his body reacted with these red welts. He's having trouble breathing and his face looks puffy. I can't be sure but I'll give him a shot to counteract the effects." The medic went back to work, concentrating on his patient.

Hutch began to moan and his head moved side to side. He took a deep breath before his eyes opened.

"Starsky?" His voice was weak but the other man heard him loud and clear.

"Hey blondie, I told ya it'd be okay." Starsky struggled to sit up but Huggy pushed him back to the floor. The medic was trying to stabilize his left arm and shoulder.

"Keep him still. I'm almost done." Johnson worked as quickly as he could. His partner, Mike Henderson had already called ahead, alerting the hospital of the men's conditions.

"Where's ..?" Hutch struggled against the hands working on him but Dobey had no trouble getting him to lie still.

"Easy son, let Mike get you ready for transport. Starsky's okay." Dobey tried to convince the blond that everything was under control. Hutch gave up struggling so Dobey left him to check on Starsky. The other detective was also quiet.

"What caused you boys to get into this kind of trouble?" The captain spoke out loud, but mainly to himself. His concern for his two detectives was genuine. He tried to think ahead, tried to envision them safely at Memorial Hospital. Obviously another hospital confinement would follow but once they were better, he couldn't wait to hear the story of this adventure. He wanted to believe that once again, they would defy the odds and would be okay.

It never failed to amaze the captain how trouble just seemed to find both these men. He also believed that they would come through because of each other. They had a strong will to live and a strong bond between them.


	14. Chapter 14

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 14**

***********************************

If Hutch had to deal with another perky volunteer offering a magazine or slippers, he would throw those slippers back at them. Did those people actually think he had any use for slippers at the moment? His leg suspended from the bed prevented him from getting up and signing himself out of the hospital. He hated hospitals. But the only good thing was that at least he and Starsky were in the same room. They'd been there now for two days and the official word was that they both had another few days before they could go home.

Actually he still felt pretty lousy. His nose itched because of the forced air he received from the oxygen cannula. His leg was badly broken and needed surgery to repair the bone and tendon. He was held hostage in bed since his leg was suspended and attached to pulleys in order to keep the bone in place. The reaction to the ant bites was the real concern for the doctors. Hutch's breathing was compromised but did not require anything more than IV solutions to counteract the allergic reaction. He was still attached to several different IV's, the tubing dangling from the bags, dripping into his hand. Then, since he wasn't able to get out of bed, the catheter was another tube attached to him. At least he wasn't itchy any more since most of the red blotches had disappeared.

Even the hickey had faded, much to his relief. He never had to explain that one even though he was sure his doctor knew the difference between a hickey and a hive.

He shifted his butt, trying to get comfortable. His back ached but he looked forward to the massage the nurse would provide later. He could roll enough to get on his side and enjoy the healing touch.

Hutch turned his attention to his partner in the bed next to his. Starsky had been quiet for some time now and Hutch wondered what the reason for that was.

"Hey Starsk, what's up? You okay?"

Starsky was on his back, his left arm strapped to his chest. Surgery corrected the torn tendon and broken arm and 25 stitches snaked up Starsky's right leg. When he'd fallen over the hill, he'd landed on a small tree that had ripped his leg from the ankle to knee. The leg wasn't broken but the branch had punctured his leg, causing a large open wound. He also was attached to several IV's and the enforced catheter.

He turned his head toward the blond and put the book he was reading on his stomach. He also had two broken ribs but they were healing. He no longer had pain when he took a breath but his chest and abdomen were bruised and discolored.

"I'm just thinking about Al and Rose. I hope he was able to help Huggy. By the way, where is our bar tending friend? Haven't seen him since we got here."

"Well, you were sleepin' earlier when the phone rang. Huggy called to say he wouldn't be in for a couple days. It seems that Al was able to line up a couple trucks and stocked them with booze and drove one of the trucks himself. Your Aunt Rose went with him. She took along a pot of chicken soup to feed the guys. They left a few hours after they'd eaten and a little later, Huggy got… uhhh.. Montezuma's Revenge! Now Huggy's not sayin' it was 'cause of the soup but…" Hutch giggled and watched as Starsky just rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Now I really owe Huggy a favor. I love my aunt dearly but jeeze, her soup is a lethal weapon!"

Starsky sighed and rubbed his face. He picked up his book again but immediately let it slide back onto the mattress. Just as he reached for the T.V. control, the door to their room opened.

"My, my, you boys sure are popular! Look at what I have for you!" Another of the perky volunteers that constantly annoyed Hutch, walked over to the blond with a box wrapped in brown paper. She smiled sweetly at Hutch before she put the present on Hutch's table.

"Thanks Allison." Hutch thanked her but didn't want to offer any further comment. He'd discovered given the slightest incentive, Allison took it as an invitation to stay and would talk your ear off. More than once he'd turned his head away, closed his eyes and just ignored her. It seemed to him that she'd find any reason just to come to their room, with magazines, crossword puzzles or mail.

Starsky tried to suppress a laugh. The woman was perhaps in her 60's with short gray hair and a bit chubby. Obviously she had a crush on Hutch which delighted the other man. But his leg hurt and he needed something to distract him from the pain. He knew he could ask for pain meds, but hated the disconnected feeling they caused and would rather not take anything until bedtime.

Hutch did his best to tune her out.

Clearly disappointed, Allison shrugged her shoulders. Once more she stared at Hutch, wanting to do something that would enable her to stay longer.

"Here, hon, let me plump up your pillow." Allison reached under Hutch's head and somehow, her elbow connected with his face.

"That's good enough Allison, thanks." Hutch waved her away while rubbing at his nose.

"I can't leave you without fresh water. I'll be back in a jiffy." Allison grabbed the water pitcher and floated out of the room. She never noticed Starsky holding out his to be filled. All too soon, she was back with fresh water for Hutch. She picked up his glass, poured the water but unfortunately, she was looking at Hutch rather than the glass.

"Stop!" Now look what you did. Just leave the pitcher. I'm fine." Hutch swiped water off his face and flinched as the cold water hit his bare chest. He heard Starsky snicker but didn't dare look at him for fear he'd loose his temper completely.

"I'll just get a towel, you'll be cleaned up in no time."

"Please.. just go away! Thanks for bringing the gift." Hutch shooed her out with his voice and a wave toward the door. He rolled his eyes as he wiggled away from the water that was pooled at his side.

She turned toward Starsky who just winked at her. Benignly she smiled back, but looked over her shoulder once again at the handsome blond.

_"Well, there's always the dinner trays later__!"_ Allison whispered to herself as she left the room. She quickly headed to the volunteer office to put her name beside the dinner distribution schedule for her favorite patient.

"Aww, she's got a crush on you! " Starsky chuckled as he stared at the Hutchinson finger.

Quickly, Starsky changed the subject, anxious to see what was in the box.

"Hurry up, who's the package from? What's in it? Want me to open it?" Starsky's enthusiasm was just like at Christmas. He loved presents but hated to wait till it was time to open them.

The box was wrapped in brown paper, with both their names on it. No post mark, so it had obviously been dropped off at the nurse's desk.

Hutch examined all sides, looking for a return name. He shook the box once, but didn't hear anything. He slyly glanced over at Starsky who just gave a great sigh of frustration.

Hutch knew how curious his partner was and wanted to distract him from the pain he could see on the other man's face. Starsky would never say so, but Hutch could see it in his eyes and on his face that he was uncomfortable. This would be a fun way of diverting both of them from their individual aches and pains.

"Will you hurry up already? Is there a card?" Starsky tried to keep his voice level. If he showed too much annoyance, then his friend would delay as long as possible on purpose.

"Just a minute. I gotta remove this tape. The card must be in the box." Slowly and with much grumbling from Starsky, Hutch finally unwrapped the present. A white envelope sat on top of the box. No longer able to keep his own enthusiasm under control, he ripped open the envelope. He pulled out the card and showed the outside of it to Starsky.

A masculine scene with a boat on the water, a dock in the background and birds flying overhead graced the front of the card.

Starsky nodded his head in appreciation but frowned again as Hutch took his time reading the verse. The blond shook his head and smiled to himself before offering it to Starsky.

The dark-haired man reached out to take the card as Hutch continued with his tight lipped throaty laugh.

On the inside, instead of a manufactured greeting, a hand written message flowed over the blank page:

**_This time, the beer's on me._**

**_Relax and _** **_get better._**

**_But as I see it, you owe me!_**

**_Respectfully,_**

**_Harry Hawkins_**

As Starsky read the card, Hutch opened the package to find two cans of beer. He held them up for Starsky to see, just as his friend let out a belly laugh.

Hutch joined in. A laugh shared with a friend was just the thing.


	15. Chapter 15

**ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS**

**CHAPTER 15**

***************************************

**Author's note: **End of active imagination zone! The previous story made possible by all of your support and encouragement along the way.

May the road of life you travel be free of potholes, delays and detours. If you encounter such obstacles, call on your loved ones to guide you; take advantage of the friends you meet along the way who help map out a new path and look forward to and anticipate your destination!

************************************************************************************************************************************************

As the laughter died down, Captain Dobey strode into the room. He always walked with purpose, as if his destination was of high importance. Actually he was very relieved to hear his detectives in such a happy mood. He knew how they both hated being confined in a hospital, so a jubilant mood was far better than being ill-tempered.

"You two must be feeling better. Nice to hear you upbeat rather than grouchy." The captain pulled up an upholstered chair. He was glad that he didn't have to sit in a hard plastic chair most common in hospital rooms.

Hutch held up the two cans of beer while Starsky offered the card for the captain to read. Laughter again filled the room. Captain Dobey cleared his throat and wiped the tears from his eyes caused by the typically strange but likable Harry Hawkins.

As the room quieted, Starsky's face evened out as the significance of all that they'd been through caught up to him. A bit of guilt that Huggy met with his aunt's cooking mixed with another difficult adventure sobered his thoughts.

"Hutch was just tellin' me about Huggy. Hey, thanks again for all that both of ya did for us." Nervously, Starsky fingered the pages of his book and then set it back on the bed. His night stand fortunately was on his right side so he leaned over and picked up his glass to drink from.

"We were both worried about you. Huggy wouldn't have let me come without him when I went to The Pits looking for answers. But I shoulda known that the two of you got into trouble because ya can't leave the ladies alone." He grunted and stood up. He walked over to the tray table by Hutch's bed. He helped himself to an apple from a fruit basket sent from the station. The card said it was from everybody, but Hutch was pretty sure Minnie was responsible for the idea.

"Now Captain, we were only following Harry's directions. He wanted us to find Billie and expose her drug business." Hutch's face turned red remembering the beautiful woman and the pleasant association with her.

"EXPOSE is the word alright! Drugs weren't the only things you uncovered, were they Hutch!" Starsky laughed and threw his book at Hutch. The blond raised his index finger and warned his friend to back off. The attempt to convey a serious look was spoiled by the smile that spread across his face.

Dobey decided to let the boys know about the drug trafficking business that Harry Hawkins had wanted the detectives to find. True to his odd nature, Harry made sure that they were distracted by the road work and knew that their curious nature would have eventually led them to find Billie. He hadn't counted on the fact that one of them would actually need her nursing skills but that just made the evidence more accessible.

"You'll be happy to know we broke up a very large drug ring that Billie was the head of. We've been trying to find the source of that one for months. So Harry came through again, as only he can."

Hutch absently scratched his neck. A few welts still lingered and itched slightly. But the IV's had diminished the possibility of any infection. He listened as Starsky talked, echoing his own thoughts about the peculiar snitch.

"He sure is eccentric but helpful. I guess we owe him 40 bucks instead of the usual 20." Starsky shook his head, thinking of the snitch. His information was always valuable; they just never knew what they'd have to do in order to get it.

"Hey, what happened to Jimmy and Beth? I know they stole my car, thanks to my pal over here," Hutch pointed at Starsky. ---" but what's the rest of their story?"

At the mention of Hutch's car, Starsky squirmed, thinking about how he was responsible that the car got stolen in the first place.

"Remember, I cleaned it out. All you gotta do is throw the one bag away and wash all the damn clothes in the other one."

"That's supposed to make me feel better, knowing you cleaned out my car and then played tonsil hockey with Beth? If you'd have kept your hands to yourself…" Hutch's voice rose with his annoyance but was cut off by Starsky's equally frustrated voice.

"Now wait a minute, while I was trying to defend myself from Jimmy, weren't you doing the horizontal waltz with Billie? Look here, pal.."

"Starsky! Hutchinson! Quit arguing and let me tell you the rest of the story. Then you can get as loud as you want, after I leave." The captain grumbled under his breath, not sure he wanted to tell them what else happened to Hutch's car.

Both men took a deep breath, glared at each other but didn't say another word. Hutch crossed his arms and Starsky rolled on his right side, away from Hutch but still facing Captain Dobey.

"You aren't gonna like the rest of this Hutch. But before you get all bent out of shape, listen to me and then decide what you think." Dobey held up his hand to stop the argument he was sure Hutch wanted to engage in. His dark glare stopped any response from the blond.

Arms still crossed and his jaw tight, Hutch stayed quiet as he waited to here what the captain had to say.

"Okay… Huggy and me found ourselves by dumb luck behind your car. We knew it wasn't either one of you in it and we recognized your license plate Hutch. I thought we could find out pretty quick who was in your car if I called in a request for a DMV reading, knowing he'd hear it over the radio. Well, yeah, that worked, except when Jimmy got out of the car, he yanked your radio out and smashed it to bits. But before that happened,-- and son, this is gonna really hurt you, but you gotta know about it. Before he ripped out and destroyed your radio, he'd driven over a spilled load of nails."

"Hold it right there captain. You mean my radio is destroyed and now you're tellin' me I got a flat tire too because of a bunch of spilled nails?"

"Where'd the nails come from Cap'n?" Starsky interrupted Hutch's train of thought. He'd been very interested in how this story was playing out but loved the fact that now the precious car had a flat!

"Shut up Starsky, and let him finish." Hutch's voice was tight with anger, his eyes narrowed, waiting for the rest. He could see that there was more by the uneasy look on the captain's face. He just knew he wasn't gonna like the end of this.

"No, not just one tire, but three. Somehow one of the supply trucks on the work crew had dropped his load of supplies including nails." Dobey stood up and began to pace.

"Because you were on duty, the city is payin' for new tires and the city garage will also replace your radio. But… you're both on suspension for a week without pay because you didn't keep me informed of your progress. If you woulda checked in like you were supposed to, we would've known exactly where you were and I wouldn't have had to chase after either one of you!" The captain let that bit of news sink in, enjoying how both men bristled when they'd heard that they were suspended. He looked from one to the other, fixing them both with a dark, angry look. He took another bite of his apple before he continued. He was enjoying having control of the conversation for the time being.

"Sorry Cap'n. I just wasn't thinking." Starsky apologized but winced as a stab of pain ran down his arm.

"No, it's my fault. When I got bit by those ants, I just wanted to find relief. I took off without letting the captain know what was going on. I guess none of this would've happened if I'd of followed procedure. Sorry Starsky." The look of guilt on Hutch's face almost made Dobey want to tell them the rest but, he'd let them sweat a bit longer. A little guilt never hurt either one of these men.

"Hutch, it's my fault. I should've insisted on driving you to the first aid trailer. We would've found the drugs together and your car never would have been vandalized and we never would have ended up here." Starsky punched the mattress with his free hand.

Nobody did guilt better than Starsky and Hutch. When one hurt, the other hurt and as far as Dobey was concerned, the boys needed an opportunity to apologize to each other and to own up to their responsibility.

But, well he guessed they'd had enough. He enjoyed knowing he had the power to change their moods.

"Not so fast. Enough with the guilt and apologies. Your suspensions have been lifted by order of the mayor and you've each received a service award for solving an important and dangerous drug ring. As a further thank you, you've got a two week paid vacation coming to you after you get out of here." Dobey puffed himself up, proud of his best detectives. His smile spread across his face and he took another healthy bite out of the apple.

"You mean we screwed up but still came out shining examples of experience?" Hutch dry washed his hands together, in anticipation of a camping trip with his buddy.

"I'd say this calls for a vacation to the beach! What'ya say Hutch? Two weeks of sand, scantily clad bathing beauties…" He raised his eye brows at Hutch who's first response to that suggestion was a frown that deepened the crevice between his eyes.

"No way! It was women that got us into this mess in the first place. Nu-uh. I want to get away to nature! To contemplate the earth!"

"You're crazy blondie. No way am I spending two weeks with bears and snakes and… you really want to risk another attack of bugs? What happens if you're out in the wilderness and you get stung by bees, or wasps or… spiders? What happens when you break out in hives again, can't breathe.." Starsky's voice trailed off but he saw his argument was working. Hutch's face went from a dark frown to thinking about being no where near civilization when he couldn't breathe or was being driven crazy by itching without the benefit of medical help. Nope, this time, Starsky was right.

Dobey silently backed out of the room. He chuckled to himself as the men planned their vacation. It didn't matter to him where they went, only that they would be well enough to once again return to the life they loved. As long as they did it together, they could deal with any problem, work through any heartache and with a little good natured kidding, they'd always be able to enjoy being together.

It didn't matter if life was full of delays and detours because they'd always make the best of the road ahead.

**************

The end! Thanks for riding along.

Becky


End file.
